The number of lower-income families in Finland struggling to put food on the table has almost doubled since last year.
That's according to the results of a survey conducted by Save the Children Finland, which found that 14 percent of children in low-income households said their family was frequently short of food. The corresponding figure in 2022 was 7.5 percent.
"Last year, the survey did not reveal a significant lack of food in families, but this year the number of children reporting food insecurity is startling," Johanna Vinberg, the organisation's expert on child family poverty, wrote in a press release.
The survey also found that almost 90 percent of children in lower-income households said that their family was struggling to make ends meet.
There are an estimated 120,000 children living in low-income families in Finland.
Worry, stress carry extra burdens for children
In its accompanying report, Save the Children Finland noted that children's access to recreational activities has also decreased since last year. Almost one in three children from lower-income families said they had been forced to give up their hobbies because of their family's financial situation.
More than one in three said they were unable to participate in any hobbies at all.
The survey results further revealed that 80 percent of children said they felt stressed by their family's financial situation and more than half were also worried about their parents' ability to cope.
These results indicate that the mental health and well-being of children from lower-income families is a growing concern, the report said.
"Worry and stress, combined with experiencing inequality, puts a strain on the mental well-being of these children," Vinberg said.
In its report, Save the Children Finland called on the government to heed the warnings issued by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, especially in regard to the rights of the most vulnerable children. The welfare of these children must be taken into consideration, the organisation said, for example in terms of social security benefits.
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo's (NCP) government has set itself a target of reducing the number of people receiving basic social security assistance — a last resort form of support for households unable to cover daily essentials.
"The difficult global economic situation and rising prices have left children lacking confidence and feeling uncertain about what kind of life they will have in the future. Everyday life has become a struggle to survive. This needs to be addressed," Vinberg said.
The survey, called Voice of the Child, canvassed the opinions of 1,700 children and young people last spring.
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