Around one million people at risk of poverty in Austria

from the Inquirer

VIENNA -- Around one person in eight in Austria lives close to or below the poverty line, nearly half of them permanently, a regular survey by Statistik Austria showed on Thursday.

While Austria ranks as one of Europe's richest countries in terms of gross national product (GNP) per capita, around one million people -- or 12-13 percent of the population -- were classified as being "at risk" in terms of poverty, the statistics authority said in a statement.

And just under half or 44 percent of those were living below the poverty line long term.

In Austria, a person must take home fewer than 900 euros ($1,300) a month to be classified as being "at risk".

The largest group of people most at risk were women of retirement age, the statisticians found.