User:Anushkasomanayake/Poverty in Norway

Poverty In Norway  Norway is a Nordic country in Northwestern Europe and has a population of 5.3 million people (as of August 2018). Norway is one of the richest countries in the world where citizens are able to enjoy high quality of life, however poverty still persists in Norway.

Economy
Norway has been well regarded to be a rich welfare state, being one of the 10 richest countries in the world. With a population of 5.3 million people and despite the wealth earned through oil commodities, poverty still exists in Norway. With a widening gap of income levels between the rich and poor, there is an evident widening inequality in Norway. According to a report by the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration titled "Poverty and Living Conditions in Norway", the portion of low-income citizens of Norway increased from 7.7% to 9.3% in the span of four years. The report shows 43% of people living in Oslo with immigrant background are considered to be poor. The report also states 14% citizens from ages 18 to 34 are the poorest and most vulnerable age group in the country. In addition to this, 17.5% of all children living in Oslo live in households of low-income, affecting their education and quality of life. Norway has an effective social welfare system and a strong fiscal redistribution which allows for a less chance of absolute poverty to exist in Norway. While Norway has a high Purchasing Power Parity, poverty still exists and 11% of Norway's population are under the poverty line.

Immigration
Statistics and other findings show that immigrant population in Norway are more vulnerable to poverty than the rest of the population. Ethnic origin and immigration status helps to explain the continuing poverty in Norway. In 2017, Norway's immigrant population was made up of 16.8% of the country's population. The fraction of poor among immigrants in Norway is far larger than the fraction in the native population. According to Statistics Norway (SSB), in the Capital city, Oslo, 8.3% of the population suffers the impacts of poverty, and 11% of Norway's population live under low income level. Immigrants are unable to find jobs with their qualifications and experience gained from their home countries and therefore, are unable to contribute to their new careers in Norway, which makes families of immigrant parents to continue to stay below the poverty line.

Child Poverty
There is a small impact on poverty rate, as statistics prove parents on average, were older and better educated and few children lived in households with a single parent. Norway has taken many steps to reduce child poverty. The low-fincome rate fell from 5.2% in 1991 to 2.0% in 2000, indicating changes in social policy played a vital role in this improvement. Many citizens across Norway have access to clean water, sanitation facilities and other basic services.

The immigrant population faces many economic hardships. Stats prove that 36% of children of immigrant children live in poverty, while merely 5% of children with Norwegian parents live in poverty. According to the CIA World Factbook, 4 in 10 immigrant children live in poverty in Norway, with no access to basic needs, services and education. Child poverty is also reason why education rates can be low. Children and adults are in risk of facing health problems due to the lack of jobs and low income to meet needs. Exclusion from the labour market suggests more people may rely on public support which increases government spending.

Government Responses
The Government of Norway have taken many steps to end poverty, not just locally but globally as well. The government of Norway is highly decentralised, therefore, there are ministries and authorities responsible for elderly care, health education of primary and upper schools. In 1995, when Norway's government was running on a budget surplus, government expenditure was the same amount as the country's GDP. However as of recent, Norway's total spending as a percentage of the total GDP moderately lower than other countries such as Denmark, Finland, France and Sweden.

Norway's Agenda 2030
The Nordic Council of Ministers has established the Generation 2030 programme which was implemented to support the Nordic countries progress' in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. The agenda holds a roadmap for removing poverty off the face of earth through sustainable development and good governance. The UN reports Norway classifies as highest in terms of implementing the Sustainable Development Goals.

However, evidence claims some of the targeted goals by the Government of Norway pose a distinct challenge for these goals to be carried out domestically. The Government of Norway implemented a nationwide labour market inclusion effort, in order to assemble all private and public sectors to promote this inclusion for all within the labour market. This was implemented because Norway's low income and poverty levels stem from the problems within the labour market and inability for many to find jobs, especially for immigrant families.

EU 2020 Strategy
This strategy involves a collective effort by the European Union countries to fix the social situations caused by economic crisis while enabling sustainable measures to solve them, by the year 2020. Nearly 60,000 people (24% of EU population) are at risk of falling below poverty line. 17% of this population live under the country's average household income, and nearly 9% of this population do not have access to a proper quality of life and basic needs and services met. This project aims to combat issues involving inequalities and inaccessibility involving jobs and wages, health care and many other benefits. It also aims to create equal opportunities for people of all genders, people with disabilities and indigenous and other marginalised people. To achieve this, the government has been working with other EU leaders, working in partnership with other private sector organisations. The project aims to use sustainable methods in order to maintain climate change and resource management.