Over 7% of Dutch population below poverty line

At least 1.2 million people were living in poverty in the Netherlands in 2012, a rise of over 150,000 people on 2011, according to figures by the Dutch national statistics office CBS and the state-run think-tank SCP on Tuesday. The SCP puts the poverty line at 1,040 euro a month for singles and 1,430 euro for a couple. A couple with two children is considered poor if their gross income is less than 1,960 euro per month. Over 11 pct of Dutch children are now growing up in poverty. Most poor households live in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague. The SCP expects a rise in people living in poverty this year. The Netherlands has a population of about 17 million.