Around 20.5% of Madeira’s population was at risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2025, equivalent to one in five people, according to EAPN Portugal’s report, “Poverty and Social Exclusion in Portugal 2026,” released today.
The figure represents a fall of 2.4 percentage points from 22.9% in 2024, continuing the region’s move towards the national average of 18.6%.
The monetary poverty rate also fell, from 19.1% to 16.6%. This puts Madeira 1.2 percentage points above the national average of 15.4%, within the three-percentage-point limit for regional differences established by the National Strategy to Combat Poverty. Madeira had already met this target in 2024.
Severe material and social deprivation, which measures the lack of basic goods and living conditions, declined from 5.4% to 5.0%.
Income inequality also narrowed. The Gini coefficient fell from 31.1% to 29.5%, while the income of the wealthiest 20% was 4.6 times that of the poorest 20%, down from 4.9 times.
The report highlights the importance of social support. Social transfers, excluding pensions, reduced the risk of poverty in Madeira by 33.6%, compared with 28.7% the previous year. This was the largest proportional reduction recorded among Portugal’s regions.
However, the proportion of people living in households with very low work intensity rose from 5.6% to 6.2%. This indicator reflects how little adults in a household work relative to their potential working time. EAPN says the increase warrants monitoring, as it may indicate pockets of unemployment or underemployment.
Nationally, the number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion fell to 1.995 million, around 100,000 fewer than the previous year. This was the first time since 2015 that the figure had fallen below two million. Single-parent families moved against the overall trend, with their risk rising to 40.7%.
The findings are based on the 2025 Survey on Living Conditions and Income, with income figures referring to 2024.
Founded in Brussels in 1990, the European Anti-Poverty Network brings together non-governmental organisations and networks working to combat poverty and social exclusion. It is represented in 31 countries, including Portugal.
EAPN Portugal was established on the 17th of December 1991. Based in Porto, it operates nationwide through 18 district centres and a regional centre in Madeira. Its work includes research, public awareness, training, community participation, and efforts to influence policies addressing poverty and social exclusion.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
Views: 44
