13 February 2025

Living Conditions Survey (LCS)

Year 2024. Final results

Main Results

In 2024, the percentage of the population at risk of poverty or social exclusion decreased to 25.8%, from 26.5% in 2023.
The percentage of the population in a situation of severe material and social deprivation decreased to 8.3%, compared to 9.0% the previous year.
The average expenditure per person stood at 14,807 euros in 2023, with an annual increase of 5.1%.
9.1% of the population made it to the end of the month with “great difficulty”, compared to 9.3% in 2023.

More information

Annex of tables (includes information from the Autonomous Communities)
Detailed results
Videos: Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC), AROPE rate, Unit of consumption
Change of population base Census 2021

Population at risk of poverty or social exclusion (AROPE rate)

The AROPE rate (percentage of the population at risk of poverty or social exclusion) for the population residing in Spain stood at 25.8% in 2024, set against the figure of 26.5% for the previous year.

Its three components improved: the relative poverty risk rate, the percentage of the population experiencing severe material and social deprivation and the percentage of the population with low employment intensity. Severe material and social deprivation displayed the greatest improvement, while the other two components reached their best figures in the last 10 years.

AROPE Indicator. Population included within at least one out of three criteria of poverty risk or social exclusion by components

Percentages

{
  "mode": "table",
  "category": [
    "Years",
    "2015",
    "2016",
    "2017",
    "2018",
    "2019",
    "2020",
    "2021",
    "2022",
    "2023",
    "2024",
    "Income for the year",
    "AROPE Indicator",
    "Risk of poverty",
    "Severe material deprivation",
    "Low work intensity"
  ],
  "col": [
    [
      "0",
      "1"
    ],
    [
      "",
      "2"
    ],
    [
      "",
      "3"
    ],
    [
      "",
      "4"
    ],
    [
      "",
      "5"
    ],
    [
      "",
      "6"
    ],
    [
      "",
      "7"
    ],
    [
      "",
      "8"
    ],
    [
      "",
      "9"
    ],
    [
      "",
      "10"
    ]
  ],
  "row": [
    [
      "11"
    ],
    [
      "12"
    ],
    [
      "13"
    ],
    [
      "14"
    ],
    [
      "15"
    ]
  ],
  "data": [
    "2014",
    "2015",
    "2016",
    "2017",
    "2018",
    "2019",
    "2020",
    "2021",
    "2022",
    "2023",
    "28.7",
    "28.8",
    "27.5",
    "27.3",
    "26.2",
    "27.0",
    "27.8",
    "26.0",
    "26.5",
    "25.8",
    "22.1",
    "22.3",
    "21.6",
    "21.5",
    "20.7",
    "21.0",
    "21.7",
    "20.4",
    "20.2",
    "19.7",
    "7.4",
    "8.5",
    "8.3",
    "8.7",
    "7.7",
    "8.5",
    "8.3",
    "7.7",
    "9.0",
    "8.3",
    "15.4",
    "14.9",
    "12.8",
    "10.8",
    "10.9",
    "10.0",
    "11.6",
    "8.7",
    "8.4",
    "8.0"
  ],
  "textLad": [
    "",
    ""
  ],
  "title": "",
  "leftSideCols": 1,
  "rowsHeader": 2
}

By age group, the AROPE rate rose by 0.4 points among those under 16 years of age. Conversely, it decreased by 0.6 points in the 16 to 64 age group, and by 1.4 points among those aged 65 and over.

AROPE Indicator. Population included in at least one of the three criteria of the risk of at-poverty-risk rate and social exclusion by age

Percentages

{
  "mode": "table",
  "category": [
    "Years",
    "2015",
    "2016",
    "2017",
    "2018",
    "2019",
    "2020",
    "2021",
    "2022",
    "2023",
    "2024",
    "Income for the year",
    "TOTAL",
    "Under the age of 16",
    "From 16 to 64 years of age",
    "65 years of age and older"
  ],
  "col": [
    [
      "0",
      "1"
    ],
    [
      "",
      "2"
    ],
    [
      "",
      "3"
    ],
    [
      "",
      "4"
    ],
    [
      "",
      "5"
    ],
    [
      "",
      "6"
    ],
    [
      "",
      "7"
    ],
    [
      "",
      "8"
    ],
    [
      "",
      "9"
    ],
    [
      "",
      "10"
    ]
  ],
  "row": [
    [
      "11"
    ],
    [
      "12"
    ],
    [
      "13"
    ],
    [
      "14"
    ],
    [
      "15"
    ]
  ],
  "data": [
    "2014",
    "2015",
    "2016",
    "2017",
    "2018",
    "2019",
    "2020",
    "2021",
    "2022",
    "2023",
    "28.7",
    "28.8",
    "27.5",
    "27.3",
    "26.2",
    "27.0",
    "27.8",
    "26.0",
    "26.5",
    "25.8",
    "33.2",
    "32.8",
    "31.7",
    "29.9",
    "30.8",
    "31.8",
    "33.2",
    "32.2",
    "34.3",
    "34.7",
    "31.4",
    "31.4",
    "28.9",
    "28.5",
    "27.4",
    "27.4",
    "28.7",
    "26.0",
    "26.4",
    "25.8",
    "14.5",
    "16.0",
    "18.9",
    "20.7",
    "18.1",
    "21.6",
    "20.5",
    "21.3",
    "20.9",
    "19.5"
  ],
  "textLad": [
    "",
    ""
  ],
  "title": "",
  "leftSideCols": 1,
  "rowsHeader": 2
}

In 2024 (with income data from 2023), 1.3% of the population was at risk of poverty and with severe material and social deprivation and low employment intensity. This percentage was 0.4 points lower than that registered the previous year.

Average income

In 2023, the average income per person stood at 14,807 euros, a figure 5.1% higher than that registered in the preceding year.

Annual growth of average person income

Percentages

Economic difficulties of households in 2024

9.1% of the population stated that they made ends meet with “great difficulty” in 2024. This percentage was 0.2 points lower than that registered the previous year.

In turn, 35.8% didn’t have the capacity to handle unforeseen expenses, compared to the figure of 37.1% in 2023.

33.4% of the population couldn’t afford to take a holiday away from home at least one week a year. This percentage was 0.3 points higher than that registered in 2023.

Evolution of economic difficulties

Percentages

{
  "mode": "chart",
  "type": "lineasprensa",
  "width": "170mm",
  "height": "120mm",
  "legend": true,
  "valueAxis": false,
  "tags": true,
  "series": [
    { "label": "Cannot afford to pay for at least one week of holidays away from home per year" },
    { "label": "Unable to handle unforeseen expenses" },
    { "label": "Great deal of difficulty making ends meet" }
  ],
  "ticks": [
    "2015",
    "2016",
    "2017",
    "2018",
    "2019",
    "2020",
    "2021",
    "2022",
    "2023",
    "2024"
  ],
  "values": [
    [
      "41.5",
      "40.3",
      "34.3",
      "34.1",
      "33.4",
      "34.4",
      "32.7",
      "33.5",
      "33.1",
      "33.4"
    ],
    [
      "39.8",
      "38.7",
      "36.6",
      "35.9",
      "33.9",
      "35.4",
      "33.4",
      "35.5",
      "37.1",
      "35.8"
    ],
    [
      "14.8",
      "16.6",
      "9.5",
      "10.4",
      "7.8",
      "10.0",
      "8.8",
      "8.7",
      "9.3",
      "9.1"
    ]
  ],
  "ratioMargen": 0.05,
  "angleTick": "0",
  "angleTag": "0",
  "fillToZero": true,
  "colors": [
    "#457E76",
    "#A45C0A",
    "#0071AD",
    "#756F0F",
    "#C33C9D",
    "#677746"
  ]
}

Results by Autonomous Communities

The highest AROPE rates for risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2024 were recorded in Andalucía (35.6%), Castilla - La Mancha (34.2%), and Extremadura y Región de Murcia (32.4% in both).

On the other hand, País Vasco (14.8%), Illes Balears (16.2%), and Comunidad Foral de Navarra (18.3%) displayed the lowest poverty and social exclusion risk rates.

Regarding poverty risk rates, the highest were recorded in Andalucía (29.2%), Extremadura (27.5%), and Castilla - La Mancha (27.4%).

País Vasco (9.4%), Illes Balears (11.3%), and Cataluña (12.9%) displayed the lowest poverty risk rates.

AROPE indicator and its components by Autonomous Community. Year 2024 (with 2023 income data)

Percentages

{
  "mode": "table",
  "category": [
    "Year 2024",
    "AROPE Indicator",
    "Risk of poverty",
    "Severe material deprivation",
    "Low work intensity",
    "TOTAL",
    "Andalucía",
    "Aragón",
    "Asturias, Principado de",
    "Balears, Illes",
    "Canarias",
    "Cantabria",
    "Castilla y León",
    "Castilla - La Mancha",
    "Cataluña",
    "Comunitat Valenciana",
    "Extremadura",
    "Galicia",
    "Madrid, Comunidad de",
    "Murcia, Región de",
    "Navarra, Comunidad Foral de",
    "País Vasco",
    "Rioja, La",
    "Ceuta",
    "Melilla"
  ],
  "col": [
    [
      "0",
      "1"
    ],
    [
      "",
      "2"
    ],
    [
      "",
      "3"
    ],
    [
      "",
      "4"
    ]
  ],
  "row": [
    [
      "5"
    ],
    [
      "6"
    ],
    [
      "7"
    ],
    [
      "8"
    ],
    [
      "9"
    ],
    [
      "10"
    ],
    [
      "11"
    ],
    [
      "12"
    ],
    [
      "13"
    ],
    [
      "14"
    ],
    [
      "15"
    ],
    [
      "16"
    ],
    [
      "17"
    ],
    [
      "18"
    ],
    [
      "19"
    ],
    [
      "20"
    ],
    [
      "21"
    ],
    [
      "22"
    ],
    [
      "23"
    ],
    [
      "24"
    ]
  ],
  "data": [
    "25.8",
    "19.7",
    "8.3",
    "8.0",
    "35.6",
    "29.2",
    "10.6",
    "12.0",
    "21.0",
    "15.1",
    "8.2",
    "5.5",
    "20.9",
    "15.6",
    "5.7",
    "10.0",
    "16.2",
    "11.3",
    "4.3",
    "4.2",
    "31.2",
    "24.6",
    "10.8",
    "10.4",
    "22.2",
    "17.3",
    "6.0",
    "7.7",
    "24.0",
    "18.5",
    "6.5",
    "7.0",
    "34.2",
    "27.4",
    "8.6",
    "10.7",
    "20.5",
    "12.9",
    "8.6",
    "6.1",
    "29.9",
    "24.8",
    "9.1",
    "8.8",
    "32.4",
    "27.5",
    "5.0",
    "10.6",
    "18.8",
    "14.2",
    "4.8",
    "7.1",
    "20.9",
    "14.3",
    "8.5",
    "4.9",
    "32.4",
    "26.0",
    "8.5",
    "5.9",
    "18.3",
    "14.2",
    "6.3",
    "8.5",
    "14.8",
    "9.4",
    "4.6",
    "6.9",
    "22.6",
    "19.4",
    "3.7",
    "5.2",
    "42.2",
    "34.6",
    "14.0",
    "21.9",
    "44.5",
    "41.4",
    "9.4",
    "16.3"
  ],
  "textLad": [
    "",
    ""
  ],
  "title": "",
  "leftSideCols": 1,
  "rowsHeader": 2
}

In terms of difficulties making ends meet, Castilla - La Mancha (13.0%), Canarias (12.4%), and Andalucía (10.9%) were the autonomous communities with the highest percentages of people who did so with “great difficulty” in 2024.

The lowest percentages were recorded in País Vasco (5.1%), Illes Balears (5.6%), and La Rioja (5.9%).

Reviews and data updates

The data published today are final. All the results are available on INEbase.

Methodological note

The Living Conditions Survey (LCS) is an annual statistical operation aimed at households which is conducted in all European Union countries. It’s a harmonised statistic supported by Regulation (EU) 2019/1700 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 October 2019 which establishes a common framework for European statistics related to people and households, based on individual data collected from samples.

The LCS was conducted for the first time in 2004. It provides information on income and the level and composition of poverty and social exclusion in Spain and allows for comparison with other countries of the European Union. The income for the calendar year prior to the interview is collected. Moreover, numerous other questions on living conditions referring to the moment of the interview are compiled. Therefore, the variables related to the incomes of the survey in 2024 refer to 2023 whereas the other questions refer to 2024.

The 2024 LCS was carried out by the National Statistics Institute (INE) in collaboration with the Statistical Institute of Cataluña (IDESCAT) within the scope of the autonomous community.

Type of survey:: Annual.
Collection period:: February to May 2024.
Sample size:: The effective sample is made up of about 72,000 people.
Type of sampling:: A panel survey in which the people interviewed collaborate for four consecutive years. It’s a stratified two-stage sampling process. The first stage units are the census tracts and the second stage units are the inhabited family dwellings.
Collection method:: The collection method is multichannel, offering the household the possibility of responding online (CAWI) or conducting the survey by telephone interview or face-to-face.

More information on the methodology and the standardised methodological report.

INE statistics are produced in accordance with the Code of Good Practice for European Statistics. More information on Quality at INE and Code of Best Practices.

For further information see

Official INE account on @es_ine

All press releases at:: www.ine.es/en/prensa/prensa_en.htm
Press office:: (+34) 91 583 93 63 / 94 08 – gprensa@ine.es
Information area:: (+34) 91 583 91 00 – www.ine.es/infoine/?L=1