Number of poor, socially excluded Czechs falling - statistics

The number of Czechs threatened by poverty and social exclusion diminished last year by roughly 110,000 to 390,000, Michaela Jirkova, from the Czech Statistical Office (CSU), told journalists today. Poverty and social exclusion hits those who face material problems and cannot afford to pay their rent regularly or to own a car, to eat meat every other day or to have a week-long holiday. Last year, some 960,000 Czechs or 0.6 percent less were below the income poverty line, Jirkova said.