Around 800 people work on six floors in the Statistics Austria building in Vienna’s eleventh district. It is shortly before the end of the year, and a present is handed over to the two porters. “For the doctor of the house.” The porters get nothing. “Why aren’t we getting anything?” is asked jokingly. “It’s not my fault, I’m just passing it on,” defends the delivery lady, visibly uncomfortable. “Yeah, that’s the way it is these days. The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer,” says one of the two.
It is precisely this topic that the employees of SILC deal with a few rooms down. SILC are the “Statistics on Income and Living Conditions”. Based on an initiative of the EU Commission, data has also been collected regularly in Austria since 2003 – per year from around 8,600 randomly selected households.
“Statistics important to do something for people”
One person who conducts these surveys is Anton Tischler. The 52-year-old has been doing opinion polls since 1986, for SILC since 2005. Why? “I wanted to do something important. And don’t just ask, ‘What kind of detergent do you like?’, but really collect data that change something and make a contribution,” he says in an interview with ORF.at.
Statistics, numbers, data, facts, that may sound dry to many. But not for carpenters. “Statistics are important to do something for the people of this country. It doesn’t matter whether it’s politics or administration. It is important to see where there is a need for action and where things are going well anyway. So who is the group that is just barely getting by and where does the social support work well,” he explains.
Insight into how people are doing
He is not allowed to reveal much personal information, after all, this is about protecting top-secret data. “I am subject to statistical secrecy. I can’t expect households to say it’s all secret and then to tell stories.”
But he can say this much: “I like my job. You get to know a wide variety of people, get a picture of the entire population and really get an insight into how people are doing.” For example, whether the single mother has sufficient childcare options or whether the pensioners can get by with their income.
“How often have you been happy in the last month?”
Which question does he personally find most interesting? “The one with contentment. In other words, whether people are satisfied with their lives.” That is exciting because, despite difficult living conditions, some would often name a higher value than those with a high standard of living. “This shows that it is important to ask people directly for their opinion,” says Tischler.
In addition to objective questions about income and expenses, educational qualifications and housing situation, there are also more personal questions on the list. “How often have you been happy in the last four weeks? How often lonely?” “How satisfied are you with your personal relationships, for example with family, friends, colleagues?” “And how satisfied are you with the time you have available for things you enjoy doing?”
Statistics Austria told ORF.at that it was “considered very important that objective and subjective living conditions are considered together”. After all, they are inextricably linked. Although the questions are largely specified by the EU, they are individually tailored to the member states, since they have, for example, very divergent social systems.
No second pair of shoes? “Sad but true”
But how can it be that in a country like Austria with a comparatively strong social system there are people who cannot answer the question of a second pair of shoes with yes for financial reasons?
Tischler says: “I ask myself that too. It’s sad, but unfortunately true.” But not without quickly adding that it’s not up to him to evaluate answers – he’s just a “neutral survey body”. In any case, it seems as if he would rather ask questions than answer questions. In the end, however, he still says: “There is poverty. Also in Austria.”
Even if little is said about it. After all, it is a topic that is far too often associated with shame. Why is that? “I think there is a social compulsion to be successful. That’s just a pressure. That you can afford the school trip for the child, for example. Or a holiday away from home once a year,” says Tischler.
What does poverty mean?
However, the figures clearly show that many simply cannot do this. Last year around 15 percent in Germany were at risk of slipping into poverty, and around two percent were already living below the poverty line. In total, around 1.5 million people in Austria are struggling with money worries.
But at what point is one actually considered to be at risk of poverty and exclusion? The answer is not easy, but several factors must apply. Either your income is below the risk of poverty threshold of 1,371 euros per month, or you are not employed or only to a very small extent, or at least seven points from the following list apply, namely that it is not financially possible:
- make unexpected expenses
- to go on vacation once a year
- Pay rent, utilities or loans on time
- eat meat, fish or a comparable vegetarian food every other day
- to keep the apartment adequately warm
- replacing worn furniture
- to own a car
- to have an internet connection
- replacing worn clothing
- to have two pairs of matching shoes
- Spend a small amount on yourself every week
- engage in paid leisure activities on a regular basis
- meeting friends or family for a meal or drink once a month
By 2030, the number of people at risk of poverty and social exclusion in EU countries is to be reduced by around 15 million. A noble goal in view of the current inflation crisis. Until then, however, Tischler intends to continue going from door to door and asking his questions. And with the greatest respect.
