Explosive study reveals extreme poverty levels in popular Costa Blanca tourist hotspots

ALICANTE province has the second highest relative poverty rate in Spain (28.5%)- behind Almeria- and is among four areas with the highest risk of social exclusion (13.9%).

Too much dependency on tourism is said to be behind those areas with high poverty figures.

The conclusions come from a household income study covering the country which are included in a report compiled by the Ramon Areces Foundation and the Valencian Institute of Economic Research.

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One of the report co-authors, Carmen Herrero, said: “Poverty in Alicante is very bad, with really worrying data.”

“Areas with excessive dependence on tourism represent low levels of well-being,” Herrero added.

On a well-being index, Alicante comes bottom in the group of Spanish capitals with a population between 300,000 and 500,000 people.

The extreme poverty rate in Torrevieja was striking with almost 24% of its population was at risk of exclusion in 2021.

The percentage in the southern Costa Blanca city rises among young people to 33.7%.

Another report contributor, economics professor, Carlos Albert, also highlighted tourism as being a problem.

“Those who live in Benidorm or Torrevieja are people working in tourism like waiters and cleaners, rather than businessmen.”

“The residents have low wages, high inequality rates and there is a lot of poverty,” Albert commented.

The study says that having educational and innovation initiatives such as universities, technology centres and hubs does help improve the income levels of cities.

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