According to figures for the 2021 tax year, equivalent disposable income has been increasing constantly since 2010 in the canton of Neuchâtel and then amounted to 43,761 francs. In addition, 25,319 people lived below the relative poverty line, or 14.9% of the population.
This rate reached 14.2% in 2017, the Department of Employment and Social Cohesion (DECS) said on Wednesday. The proportion of people in poverty in the canton of Neuchâtel therefore remains stable and is slightly below the national average which was 15.6% in 2022.
A continuous decline in the use of social assistance has been noted since 2017-2018, concomitant with the drop in the unemployment rate observed from 2018. Requests for subsidies for health insurance premiums submitted by people who are not beneficiaries of AVS, AI or social assistance increased in 2022 and 2023.
The increase in requests for subsidies reflects the measures taken by the Council of State to combat the loss of purchasing power, particularly in the face of the increase in health insurance premiums in the canton in recent years.
Improvements for the richest
A strong growth in requests for help from the most vulnerable population is also noted by the network’s private partners such as Caritas or the Protestant Social Center, specifies the DECS press release.
The improvement in the socio-economic situation has mainly benefited people with an annual income of more than 30,000 francs. The population with a lower income saw their situation remain relatively stable and therefore benefited little or not from the improvement linked to the good economic dynamics valid until 2023.
The figures come from the NE 2023 Social Report, which covers the period 2019-2023. Published every two years, the document constitutes a reference tool for the canton’s social policy. It brings together data allowing documented observations to be made on the evolution of the social and economic situation of the population.
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