THE RURAL POPULATION AND THE POVERTY THREAT

In many European countries, there is an increasing possibility of poverty threat. This paper undertakes a comprehensive investigation into the determinants of rural poverty in 27 European countries, utilizing Eurostat data from 2010 to 2020. The research aims to identify factors influencing poverty threats in rural areas with a detailed focus on social protection expenditure. Two regression models are employed to address these objectives. The primary model analyses the impact of social protection expenditure, rural employment, and freight transport on poverty threats. The supplementary model examines the relationship between social protection expenditure, rural households and the older population. The key findings prove that social protection expenditure significantly reduces poverty threats. However, economic activities such as rural employment and freight transport show no statistically confirmed impact on poverty reduction in rural areas.