U.N.: Nordics Have Lowest Child Poverty

[Stunster]

U.N.: Nordics Have Lowest Child Poverty

Tuesday March 1, 2005 4:31 PM


By BRADLEY S. KLAPPER

Associated Press Writer

GENEVA (AP) - Nordic countries have the lowest levels of child poverty in the developed world, due in large part to their generous public spending on social benefits for families, according to a report released Tuesday by the U.N. Children's Fund.

On the other end of the spectrum, the United States and Mexico had the worst rates of child poverty in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development - a Paris-based group of the world's wealthiest countries.

<snip>

``Higher government spending on family and social benefits is very clearly associated with a lower level of child poverty,'' said Philip O'Brien, regional director for UNICEF.
<snip>

Rated the best were Denmark, at 2.4 percent; Finland, at 2.8 percent; Norway, at 3.4 percent; and Sweden, at 4.2 percent. UNICEF praised the Nordics for their commitment to social spending on families - including family allowances, disability and sickness benefits, day care, unemployment insurance and other social assistance.




http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050301/ap_on_re_eu/unicef_child_poverty_1

[AP]

1. Would be interesting if this were associated with either social mobility

...or at least with the ease of entering the middle class.

I suspect countries which, uhm, leave children behind have a harder time making sure that people can enter and remain in the middle class as adults.

[Lisa]

15. I've seen some data for Canada and the US ...

Canada is ranked (slightly) better than the States on child poverty, and apparently the degree of social mobility shows the same pattern -- as reported in the Globe and Mail a couple of years ago. Seems to back up your ideas on this.

p.s. the UN took Canada to task on its record so far -- deservedly so, since the "millennium goal" of child poverty elimination has certainly not been met up here.

[NNN0LHI]

2. US high in UN child poverty table

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/4307745.stm

The US has one of the highest rates of relative child poverty among the world's wealthiest countries, according to a report by the UN.

The US, which is second only to Mexico in the UN children's agency report, is nonetheless one of few countries to see a recent decline in child poverty.

In total, Unicef says up to 50 million children are living in poverty in rich nations and the figure is rising.

Children in Nordic countries are best off, due to higher social spending.

more

[Megahurtz]

3. Of course

They are Socialist Governments and do not participate in this U.S.-style greedy, competitive Capitalism.

Capitalism sucks. Nobody wins but the rich.:(

I'm embarassed to say that I live in this country.

[Stuckinthebush]

5. Then move!

That is what the unthinking masses in our country would say to your statement. "If you don't love our country, then you are free to leave it!"

What these unthinking masses refuse to accept is that a person has no control on where they are born or where they have citizenship. A person does have control over what they can do to slowly move their country of origin toward justice and equity. By saying that you are embarrassed by your country, you are saying (and I'm sorry to put words in your mouth here) that your country can and must do better, and you are saddened at the state it is currently in.

I find that many times I want to say what you have said, but have been intimidated by the right wing reactionaries who have successfully stifled dissent in our country.

[Megahurtz]

7. Agreed,

and it's not very easy to immigrate to another country either. Most countries make it very difficult. Maybe someday though, I keep hoping.

Wow, talk about supression!

[Mari333]

4. Children are important to Republicans

only as feotuses, or as cannon fodder for wars. Otherwise, they mean nothing to the right wingers.

[Benhurst]

6. Mexico has some excuse, considering that its most

valuable territories were stolen in the 19th Century. But what excuse does the United States have for its poor standing? :shrug:

[Coventina]

8. Gee, I was told Scandinavia was a "socialist hell-hole"

:eyes:

This is why the right-wing hates the UN so much, it's research and statistics challenge their world-view.

[doubleplusgood]

11. damn those godless socialists !

[Frederik]

12. Not exactly a hell-hole

I live in Norway and can confirm that social policy is taken very seriously. Even the right-wing populist party will criticise a budget for being "un-social" if they feel too little money is allocated to the elderly, poor people etc. The Scandinavian brand of socialism definetly works, but it may be because these are small countries. Anyway, in Norway there's a broad consensus about Social Democracy, it works so well that nobody really wants to abandon it.

People on the Right complain about the taxes, but they don't really want to cut the universal state pensions, 5 weeks vacation, sick leave, universal child support, disability pensions, free health care, and all the other benefits.

Higher education is free in State universities and everybody has the right to subsidised student's loans and scholarships from the State. I read in The Economist a few weeks ago that social mobility is higher in Germany than in the US, and I'm certain it's higher in the Scandinavian countries than in Germany. But sadly, it was higher in the 60s and 70s than today.

[pedestrian]

9. Nordic countries have a low correlation

between family income and students' performance at school, compared to other countries. In the US this correlation is very high.

The Pedestrian

[redqueen]

10. Hi pedestrian!

Welcome to DU! :hi:

[Igel]

13. I always ask irritating questions about the numbers.

Here's the BBC graph:


Poverty rate = "percentage of children living in families whose income is less than 50% of the median adjusted disposable income for all persons"

Note that the decline in "average income" from 1999 to 2003 was primarily at the high end: people with very large salaries got large cuts, middle class statistically got very small cuts. A flatter, more European, income distribution would give the US a lower child poverty rate. Having more kids in well-to-do families (above median income) or fewer kids in poorer families would do the same thing. Since fertility is pretty much universally inversely correlated in with family income level and education, we have yet another factor that may well account for some of the difference. And conceivably having more single childless households would affect the numbers. (I'll ignore immigration and societal homogeneity as flamebait.)

So while lower child poverty is associated (note the researchers didn't say "caused") with higher social programs, and is certainly ameliorated by it, social spending is far from the whole story.

[fertilizeonarbusto]

14. You are missing the point...

these are DANGEROUS GODLESS SOCIALISTS, who are MOCKING GOD by refusing to follow the Heaven-mandated doctrine of Social Darwinism, known as "the good Darwinism", as oppossed to "Bad Darwinism" or "science," that TOOL OF BEELZEBUB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SO THERE! NOW YOU KNOW WHY YOU SHOULDN'T BELIEVE THIS ATHEISTIC 'MURRIKA BASHING!!!!!!!!
*sarcasm off*
:silly:

[Moderator]

16. kick to combine

[rodeodance]

17. Child poverty rates lowest in Nordic nations, U.N. says (US & Mex lowest)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002194144_poverty02.html

Wednesday, March 02, 2005, 12:09 A.M. Pacific

Permission to reprint or copy this article/photo must be obtained from The Seattle Times. Call 206-464-3113 or e-mail [e-mail] with your request.


Child poverty rates lowest in Nordic nations, U.N. says

By BRADLEY S. KLAPPER
The Associated Press

GENEVA — Nordic countries have the lowest levels of child poverty in the developed world, due in large part to their generous public spending on social benefits for families, according to a report released yesterday by the U.N. Children's Fund.

On the other end of the spectrum, the United States and Mexico had the worst rates of child poverty in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development — a Paris-based group of 30 democracies committed to market economy.

At least one-fifth of U.S. and Mexican children live under the national poverty line, according to the study undertaken by UNICEF's Innocenti Research Center in Florence, Italy.

"Higher government spending on family and social benefits is very clearly associated with a lower level of child poverty," said Philip O'Brien, regional director for UNICEF.......

[kikiek]

18. I believe they also have the lowest abortion rates.

[Warpy]

19. Big "well DUH" there

"Higher government spending on family and social benefits is very clearly associated with a lower level of child poverty," said Philip O'Brien, regional director for UNICEF......."

Let's hope the Democrats realize it's the ECONOMY, and that pandering to yuppies is not gonna sell the message.

Working people in this country are hurting. The last 35 years have been a total disaster. The system can't be sustained, and thanks to Bush profligacy, the government can't spend its way out of disaster when it happens this time.

We have GOT to start forcing the rich to share the burden. We're running out of time.

[rodeodance]

20. I hear very little about families in the news other than family 'values"

whatever is meant by that. Here we are the richest nation in the world yet our kids are the poorest. Mind boggling!!

[ninkasi]

24. "Values" are a code word

for gays wanting equal treatment, and for the sexually repressed neocons to deny responsibility to women regarding their bodies and their destinies.

In other words, as long as the neocons can dictate what the rest of us can do, they will be relatively happy. They will never be completely happy, of course, because they are sour, envious, spiteful creatures who know that the majority of people do not wish to follow them.

These people do not care about poverty regarding children. They don't care about children, period. If they did, they would stop voting for the party that impoverishes more and more of us, and enriches those who need it the least. What kind of value is it that dictates that a poor child goes to bed hungry, while rich children are able to become even richer, and inherit more and more wealth?

[oscar111]

21. US and Mex HIGHEST, dont you mean?

the title made no sense.

if nordic is lowest, how can the US be a part of that group?

you have an hour, pls edit the title.
thanks

[Erika]

22. Again, we are no longer #1 in many areas

The only #1 spot we can claim is in military might. Sad.

Income, health, education are areas we are falling in dramatically. With Bushco's plans we are in a free fall. His first concern is to fulfill the role of corporate globalist serving the rich.

[lovuian]

23. This is a travesty!!! But True!!!

our children are born into poverty and never get out!!!

[Art_from_Ark]

25. Interesting-- What are the statistics on Japan?

Japan has all sorts of programs to help out children, and they have recently extended the child subsidy from 0-2 years to infant- 3rd Grade. Also, Japan's GINI Index, at 24.9, is lower than Norway's and Sweden's, and only slightly higher than Denmark's.

http://www.undp.org/hdr2003/indicator/indic_126_1_1.html

http://hdr.undp.org/statistics/data/cty/cty_f_JPN.html