Social exclusion is decreasing in the Basque Country, but the number of people living in a "thread" is increasing

The number of people in situations of social exclusion in the Basque Country has decreased by 11.8% (259,000 people), according to the fourth report on social cohesion presented by the Foessa Foundation in Vitoria-Gasteiz. In the previous period, in 2020, there were 360,000 people in this situation. 

Of the current total, 84,000 people suffer the most severe form of exclusion (3.8 per cent of the population), while 7.9 per cent suffer moderate exclusion.

At thesame time, the number of people with total integration has steadily decreased from 59.1% in 2018 to 57.7% in 2020 and 53.5% in 2024. Although the overall exclusion rate has decreased, the foundation warns that "there are fewer people who are completely out, but there are many more who are currently in a precarious situation".

Among the factors that explain this increase in precarious integration, Foessa highlights housing , which is the main cause of exclusion. 17% of the population has some problem in this area. Since 2018, sales prices have risen by about 20% and rents by 16%. Only 17% of the population lives on rent, but the number rises to 52% among those at risk of poverty. In addition, 13% (122,000) of families are below the poverty line after paying for housing and supplies.

According to the report, the recovery of employment (7% more employed since 2018) has not eliminated precariousness, since 8% of workers have unwanted partiality and 6% face serious job instability, with 11%of households having characteristics of exclusion linked to the labour market.

In other areas, 9 per cent of households have health exclusion problems due to difficulties in paying for medicines or treatments, and 13 per cent have been hungry in the last 10 years.

Foessa identifies specially affected profiles. The exclusion rates of the foreign population are 41 per cent, five times higher than those of Spanish nationality. The exclusion rate among children under 18 years of age is 20 per cent, compared with 5.5 per cent of those over 65 years of age, and households with minors account for 65 per cent of the total excluded population. In addition, exclusion affects 15 per cent of households headed by women and 10 per cent of households headed by men.

According to the report, the Basque Country has better levels of integration than the Spanish average , partly thanks to the Minimum Income for Life and Income Guarantee benefits, although it concludes that the territory has a "weakened social model" that causes inequality, precariousness and rupture.