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Published: 25 January 2012

Number of low income earners stopped growing

There were 706,000 low income earners in Finland in 2010. The low income rate, or the proportion of low income earners in total population, was 13.3 per cent. From 2007 to 2010, the number of low income earners stayed at around 700,000 and the low income rate fluctuated between 13.1 and 13.5 per cent. Thus, the past few years have seen the end to the prolonged trend of growth that had continued since the mid-1990s.

Number of low income earners and low income rate, 1987-2010

Number of low income earners and low income rate, 1987-2010

In 2010, the low income limit per consumption unit was EUR 14,741. In other words, a person living alone is a low income earner if his or her monthly income is less than EUR 1,228. In the previous year, the low income limit was EUR 334 (EUR 28 per month) lower than this. Low income earners refer to persons whose household's equivalent income is below 60 per cent of the median of the population's equivalent income.

Low income earning is most widespread among the very youngest and oldest age groups. Child poverty, or the proportion of under 18-year-old children belonging to low income households of all under 18-year-old children was 12.4 per cent. The low income risk of young adults, i.e. population aged 16 to 24, was 26.5 per cent. The low income risk of persons aged 75 or over was 19.5 per cent.

At risk of poverty indicators, 1990–2010

  1990 1995 2000 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
EUROS, IN 2010 MONEY
Median income of the whole population 17 886 16 842 19 116 22 500 22 430 22 961 23 234 24 011 24 569
Low income limit 60 %, EUR per consumption unit 10 732 10 105 11 470 13 500 13 458 13 777 13 940 14 407 14 741
Median income of low income earners, EUR per consumption unit 9 287 8 739 9 941 11 476 11 428 11 697 11 601 12 168 12 394
Poverty gap, EUR 1 445 1 366 1 529 2 024 2 030 2 080 2 339 2 239 2 347
Poverty gap, % 13,5 13,5 13,3 15,0 15,1 15,1 16,8 15,5 15,9
PERSONS
Population 4 974 383 5 053 076 5 105 187 5 179 228 5 199 039 5 222 056 5 247 446 5 271 533 5 294 659
Low income earners 394 978 361 744 576 104 660 537 651 761 706 891 696 119 690 251 706 030
Low income rate 7,9 7,2 11,3 12,8 12,5 13,5 13,3 13,1 13,3
Child poverty, aged 0 to 17 61 107 56 099 134 759 130 438 137 369 152 054 148 878 145 531 134 904
Child poverty rate, aged 0 to 17 5,1 4,8 11,9 11,8 12,4 13,9 13,6 13,3 12,4
Low income earners, aged 18 to 64 210 632 258 067 362 161 405 749 397 571 418 180 420 765 436 142 447 081
Low income rate of persons aged 18 to 64 6,8 8,1 11,2 12,4 12,2 12,8 12,8 13,3 13,6
Low income earners, aged over 65 123 239 47 578 79 184 124 350 116 821 136 657 126 476 108 578 124 045
Low income rate of persons aged over 65 18,7 6,7 10,5 15,2 13,9 16,1 14,6 12,3 13,5

Source: Income Distribution Statistics 2010, Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Hannele Sauli (09) 1734 3497, Kaisa-Mari Okkonen (09) 1734 3408, income@stat.fi

Director in charge: Riitta Harala

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Updated 25.1.2012

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Income distribution statistics [e-publication].
ISSN=1799-1331. Poverty 2010. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 29.3.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/tjt/2010/02/tjt_2010_02_2012-01-25_tie_001_en.html