Austria at the top

“Always just bread”: poverty in old age is a women’s issue

Many women over the age of 65 have to limit themselves financially in everyday life.

(Bild: bilderstoeckchen - stock.adobe.com)

For women over 65, the risk of poverty is 18 percent. The figure is even higher for single women with a pension. Social isolation and poorer health are also associated with poverty in old age.

"In this group, more than one in four women is at risk of poverty," says Erich Fenninger, Director of Volkshilfe Österreich on the occasion of International Women's Day on March 8.

Unbalanced diet, social isolation
One woman talks to Volkshilfe about what poverty in old age means in concrete terms: "I eat bread in the morning, at lunchtime and in the evening. Just bread, just bread, just bread." A balanced diet is not financially feasible for her. But that's not all: many of those affected also feel socially isolated and generally less healthy.

"Getting by, yes, but you can't, ah. If you have to think ten times about buying underwear or a dress or shoes, that's where it starts. And that's a basic need somewhere."

Frau H. (76)

In addition, it is often the case that "men exercise power over the household budget" or put their partner "under pressure to justify themselves", according to the Volkshilfe policy paper.

Gender pension gap
The high risk of poverty for women over 65 living alone is a result of the gender pension gap. The "pension gap" in Austria is wide. While men received an average of 2229 euros in 2022, women's pensions averaged 1313 euros.

The pension gap in Austria is wide.

(Bild: volkshilfe.at)

"A pension gap of more than 40 percent is the result of an unequal distribution of unpaid care work, a lack of childcare places and unequal wages for equal work of equal value. But the conservative image of women that is still anchored in society is also one of the causes of the low women's pensions," says Fenninger.

"The average women's pension in 2023 was just below the at-risk-of-poverty threshold of 1392 euros for a one-person household. The gender pension gap in Vorarlberg is particularly drastic at 47.3 percent, in Vienna it is 29.8 percent. The gender pension gap in Austria is disgusting. We are sadly among the best in the EU."