The President of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, announced on Monday that the Catalan government will allocate €700 million to combat child poverty in Catalonia. These funds are expected to be approved next week, along with a corresponding action plan for 2025, which will include the program’s specific measures. According to the 2024 Living Conditions Survey, 34.7% of children and young people in Catalonia are at risk of poverty or social exclusion; the poverty rate is 14%, and 11.4% of children suffer from severe material or social deprivation.
In presenting this plan, the Catalan president emphasized that inequalities are not necessarily an inevitable consequence of the market economy. He advocated for a “coherent” interventionism that can be used to create wealth and correct inequalities.
“It’s a demanding, immense challenge that requires everyone’s support,” the president said, adding that the strategy to combat child poverty aims to bring about a “structural and mental shift” in the way we deal with poverty and exclusion. Recent data show that one in three children in Catalonia is at risk of poverty.
The Minister of Social Rights and Inclusion, Mònica Martínez Bravo, for her part, clarified that the goal is to prioritize the “most effective” policies that bring about real change. In this context, she emphasized that the Guaranteed Income of Citizenship (RGC) will be reformed with a “childhood perspective” and coordinated with the Essential Minimum Income (IMV). A specific supplement for children will also be introduced.
The document was drafted with the participation of all departments of the Generalitat, an advisory committee of recognized institutions and experts, and with the direct participation of children and adolescents from the socio-educational intervention services and the National Council of Infants and Adolescents of Catalonia.
Implementation will be coordinated jointly by the Interministerial Committee and the Advisory Committee, as well as the Secretariat for Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults of the Ministry of Social Rights and Integration, which will lead monitoring and supervision.
