Turku has the highest child poverty in Finland, according to a study by the planning and consulting company WSP.
Turku is one of the most socially vulnerable cities in Finland, says the leading expert of the planning and consulting company WSP Terhi Tikkanen-Lindström.
But what is meant by socially vulnerable, what factors influence it and what can be done about it?
There are several components associated with social vulnerability. Low income, child poverty, unemployment and unemployment of those born abroad are the most well-known of these, as they often lead to marginalization.
“The more areas a person or family has challenges in and the more widely the phenomenon spreads in, for example, a certain residential area, the higher the risk of segregation, or differentiation,” says Tikkanen-Lindström.
Social the vulnerability is explained, among other things, by marriages ending earlier and more surely today, the increase in single-parent families, and the challenges and slowness of integration into society for those moving to the country.
The background of low-income people's livelihood is affected by the war in Ukraine, inflation and the general rise in prices, which affects basic everyday needs such as food and energy.
“In single-parent families, the challenges may be a decrease in income and the fact that the single parent does not have the opportunity to invest in work and thereby affect their income level,” says Tikkanen-Lindström.
As a result of poverty, everyday life is limited. The status of children from low-income families deteriorates, and exclusion and stigma carry far into adulthood.
The income of a “poor” family is less than 1,900 euros
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Child poverty means children living in low-income households, as well as the lack of well-being and lack of activity opportunities due to the lack of financial resources.
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It is an involuntary misery associated with children's low standard of living or exclusion from the crowd.
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Child poverty is influenced by, for example, separation of parents, unemployment of parents, illness of parents, rising cost of living and chance.
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Low-income persons are defined as persons whose household income is less than 60 percent of the median income of society.
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In November 2023, the median wage and salary income was 3,139 euros. Based on this, a household with an income of less than 1,883 euros is counted as low-income.
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In 2021, approximately 12 percent of all children living in Finland lived in a low-income family.
Sources: Children's Foundation of the Jubilee of Independence and Statistics Finland
of WSP according to the Regions study carried out at the end of 2023, the risk of segregation has increased in large cities. Turku is the most vulnerable of the cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants. It is also in the top three of all large and medium-sized cities.
WSP measured the vitality of municipalities with 21 indicators. Of these, child poverty and the employment rate of those born abroad were separately combined into their own indices of social vulnerability.
“Employment improved in Turku, but Finland's highest child poverty increased even more. Without the strong employment of those who moved to the country, the city's vulnerability would be worse,” says Tikkanen-Lindström.
What is interesting to him is that the result affects only Turku in the Turku region, because the situation is different in the framework municipalities. This can partly be explained by the fact that Turku is one of the big immigration cities.
Regions the research database consists of municipal-level material. The vulnerability of parts of the city cannot be compared based on that. Tikkanen-Lindström can tell you that, according to other sources, Varissuo in Turku is in the greatest danger.
“Varissuo's challenges are largely based on the low income of the area's population and the fact that many city dwellers with an immigrant background live in the area,” he says.
Social vulnerability is increased by the fact that the integration of people with an immigrant background into society does not happen very quickly, even though the situation now seems better than before.
“In order to integrate into the community, you have to know the language, study an education and get a job. It can take time.”
However, the employment of people born abroad in Turku has accelerated, which is a key factor in reducing segregation and increasing the well-being of the regions.
According to Tikkanen-Lindström, the means of regional development to combat segregation is to maintain the “social mixing” of the regions suitable for the conditions in Finland and ensure the permanence of the service network.
“When the increase in immigration is now likely to continue, this is even more important.”
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The result affects only Turku in the Turku region, because the situation is different in the framework municipalities.
Tikkanen-Lindström especially child poverty should be a concern in Turku in the light of research data.
“Children should be placed at the center of city strategies, especially now that the birth rate has decreased. Children are our future.”
Society must ensure a safe growth environment for every child, where the child has the opportunity to participate in early childhood education, school, afternoon activities and hobbies. The child needs to feel that he belongs to the group.
“In order to be able to influence the issue, we need to cooperate nationally, regionally and with th
e third sector,” says Tikkanen-Lindström.
If the national policy ends up with solutions that further weaken the position of those in a weaker position, regional activities should be intensified. This means, for example, providing food and hobby assistance.
If this is not done, the mental health problems of young people will increase and non-participation can increase the risk of gang involvement and mutual robbery among minors.
“And that's exactly why we need to acknowledge the problem, identify its underlying factors and take action.”
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