The Nordic countries are not protected from the risks of child poverty

In February, the report Children and youth at risk of poverty: Nordic approaches to social mobility and remaining challenges was launched. Focusing on children growing up in low-income families in the Nordics, it explores the policies and instruments employed to enhance living conditions and promote social mobility and participation for children and young people, irrespective of their parents’ socioeconomic circumstances. Drawing on existing Nordic research it illustrates how economic strain can affect children’s daily lives.

The report concludes that growing up in a family with low income over time is a significant social challenge that requires continuous monitoring. Representing an important contribution to the Nordic knowledge base, the report also highlights  the ongoing challenge of defining child poverty in a way that enables meaningful comparison across countries. During the launch event, researchers and experts discussed the findings, the complexities involved in defining and measuring poverty, and the indicators needed to monitor developments over time.

– To truly understand how children’s living conditions evolve across the Nordic region, we recommend stronger joint monitoring. Today, differences in data and definitions limit what we can see across borders, and what we cannot. A more coordinated Nordic approach would give us the shared tools needed to follow children’s situations over time and act on emerging challenges, says Merethe Løberg, Senior Adviser at the Nordic Welfare Centre and editor of the report.

Differences between and within countries

The trend analysis in the report is based on official aggregate data from the Eurostat which are based on EU‑SILC survey data. EU-SILC which is the primary source for comparable data on income distribution, poverty, social exclusion, and living conditions across the European Union. Data is collected annually using both registers and interviews. Using EU-SILC makes data comparable between participating countries, but it has its limitations.

Using AROP (see Facts), the report highlights differences between the Nordic countries in the share of children living in low‑income households. These variations reflect factors such as work intensity, family structure and parental education. The report also shows that certain groups, including single‑parent households, larger families in some countries, households with low work intensity and families with an immigrant or refugee background, face a higher risk of persistent low income. Rather than drawing conclusions about specific trends or outcomes, the analysis underscores how unevenly the risk is distributed across household types in the Nordic region.

– Our findings show that single parents, large families, at least in Sweden, and families with migrant background and low attachment to the labour market are particularly vulnerable groups in the Nordic countries, says Debora Pricila Birgier, Senior Research Fellow at Nordregio.

Poverty defined by lack of participation

In the Nordic countries, child poverty primarily manifests as relative poverty, rather than an absolute lack of basic necessities. It is a situation in which families live on significantly less than the majority. This puts a strain on family finances and limits children’s opportunities to participate on equal terms, increasing the risk of stress, unstable living conditions and social exclusion.

A central principle in Nordic policy co-operation aimed at building a socially sustainable region is listening to children and young people and strengthening their voice and participation. The report highlights children’s perspectives through Nordic research and studies from voluntary organisations, documenting how economic strain shapes daily life. Children describe how they avoid inviting friends home, give up leisure activities to reduce financial pressure on their families, and play down their own needs to protect parents who are already under significant stress.

“I would never bring home friends, because it’s so embarrassing that we have so few things compared to others.”
– Quote from report by Save the Children, Sweden

Effective measures in place

The Nordic welfare states are founded on universal economic provisions, including child benefits, subsidised early childhood education, free schooling and state-funded student loans. Historically, these arrangements have contributed more to social mobility than the measures described in the report.

– It is important to note that relational mechanisms help to explain how services have an impact, but they cannot substitute for economic security, says Geir Holtan Møller, senior researcher at the Telemark Research Institute.

The key measures presented and discussed in the report have been proven to be effective in reducing low participation and promoting social mobility among children and young people from low-income families. Five types of measure, each with illustrative examples, are described and discussed.

• Early childhood education and care (ECEC)
• Measures in schools
• Parenting and family support
• Measures that promote participation in leisure activities
• Area-based initiatives

When asked to prioritise between the measures Møller emphasises the importance of early interventions.

– I would have to say that universal early childhood interventions in combination with family programs are crucial, says Geir Holtan Møller.

Knowledge gaps to fill

The researchers note a growing governmental awareness of child poverty in the Nordic countries and the introduction of several new action plans, which may pave the way for more effective policy interventions. The strong educational outcomes of children born in the Nordics to immigrant parents are also promising in terms of social mobility. However, current trends also indicate widening inequalities at the lower end of the income distribution. Without substantial efforts to strengthen integration and address underlying structural factors, socio-economic disparities may continue to grow.

There are also critical knowledge gaps that must be addressed to design effective measures. For example, there is a lack of understanding of

• the causal pathways between low income and long-term outcomes,
• the ‘pockets’ of poverty within municipalities; and
• the structural impacts of welfare state cutbacks.

– There is a need for research into the causal pathways between low income and negative outcomes. Understanding why poverty is inherited in some groups but not others would allow for more effective, targeted policies,’ says Tone Fløtten, senior researcher at the Norwegian Institute for Labour Market and Social Research (Fafo).

There is also an increasing group of young people who are not entering the labour market. Understanding why this group is growing should be a priority.

Monitoring child poverty a challenge

Monitoring child poverty remains a significant challenge. One major difficulty is collecting reliable data: survey response rates have declined sharply, from around 90 per cent in the 1980s to just 10–15 per cent today. This decline is often attributed to busier daily lives and the shift from landlines to mobile phones. As response rates fall, researchers and governments are increasingly relying on register data, administrative records and indicators such as AROP. While these sources are stable and comparable over time, they do not fully capture the nuances of children’s actual living conditions. Income-based indicators alone tell us little about children’s opportunities to participate, their social relationships, how much they feel they belong, or the strategies families use to get through everyday life.

Another challenge is the lack of detailed regional data. Most data are collected at the national level, and national – and even local – averages can mask ‘pockets’ of highly concentrated poverty, where children’s everyday environments and opportunities differ significantly.

– We need to know more about what happens at the regional level, as that is generally where interventions take place. Without data, we cannot follow up and know whether the interventions are effective, says Vitor Miranda, Head of Statistics at Nordregio.

The launch of the report also marks the beginning of an initiative to establish a Nordic research network focusing on children, poverty and social exclusion — an effort that could help to fill critical knowledge gaps across the region.

– We need to move beyond interpreting poverty and pair robust measurement with the active implementation of measures that ensure the Nordic region becomes the best place in the world for children and young people to grow up. To reach this shared Nordic goal, we must work together to develop comparable knowledge, put effective methods into practice and support each other in doing so, concludes Merethe Løberg.

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This article is based on the webinar Nordic status report launch on children and youth in families with persistent low income  arranged on 18 February 2026.