How has the economic situation changed between 2005 and 2015 for young people who live with their parents? Young men leave the parental home nearly two years later than young women.

What percentage of the total represents the child and youth population? In the year 2015, a third of the Spanish population was aged below 30 years.

The relationship between young people and the labour market is the central theme of this second Dossier from the “la Caixa” Social Observatory. The effect of the economic crisis on youth unemployment in the countries in our area will be a key factor to take into account when profiling the welfare states of tomorrow.

Michael Marmot, director de Instituto de Equidad y Salud del University College London, explica los mecanismos que vinculan la desigualdad social con una mala salud, así como las políticas que deberían ponerse en marcha para reducirlas.

How can the occupational integration of people in a situation of or at risk of social exclusion be promoted? Rosa Suñol, director of the Avedis Donabedian Institute, explains the situation in Spain and the solutions that are being applied.

Numerous diagnoses exist relating to the increase in youth unemployment caused by the economic crisis. The article reflects on the effectiveness of policies generated according to these diagnoses and, especially, on the European Recommendation of the Youth Guarantee.

The economic crisis has affected the labour market for young people in Spain, especially for those with a low level of education. This situation needs to be reverted to avoid many under-30s ultimately suffering from exclusion.

Between the years 2007 and 2013, the difficulties faced in employment, housing and health worsened considerably in Spain. This article by the Social Observatory of "la Caixa” reflects on the problems that have intensified social exclusion which affects, above all, the younger population.

The economic crisis experienced by Spain has led to increasing numbers of young people opting to prolong their education given the lack of job prospects. This fact has caused overqualification among young people and the consolidation of unemployment.

How can we ensure that biomedical research is aligned with social needs? This article from the Social Observatory of “la Caixa” analyses how resources could be assigned efficiently.

Has the protection of children and young people decreased over the last decade? In many European countries the child poverty rate is higher than the poverty rate among people aged over 64 years. This divergence is especially pronounced in Spain.

Today, thanks to policies aimed at reconciling working life and family life, increasing numbers of men are taking parental leave to be able to raise their newborn children. These new policies represent progress towards gender equality, but in Spain a significant difference still exists between men and women in the usage they make of parental leave entitlements.

How should migration within the European context be studied? These two books, from the standpoints of gender and rurality, tackle a phenomenon previously studied above all in urban contexts with male protagonists. With these new perspectives, the scientific view offers extra depth to an issue of recent social importance.

Increasingly, the inhabitants of the suburbs have been choosing not to go and vote. What are the reasons that explain such extreme abstention by this collective in electoral processes? Has the new politics managed to draw greater participation from the more disadvantaged areas?

Atmospheric contamination causes 7 million deaths every year. María Neira, director of the WHO department of Public Health, Environmental and Social Determinants of Health, explains how policies focusing on improving people’s health also benefit the planet.

Has mass access of Spaniards to intermediate and higher education been associated with a deterioration in the quality of educational qualifications, as some international bodies have warned?

Despite its perception in recent years, education continues to be a very effective vehicle for social promotion, as well as a more significant factor than social origin in providing access to the professional classes.

Víctor Fernández Blanco builds up a diagnosis regarding cultural participation, highlighting the different consumer profiles and the changes that these reflect in their behaviours and routines. 

In this interview David Throsby, a specialist in the economics of art and culture, offers a global view of what the concepts of culture and art mean, including their value as well as the relationship that these disciplines have with the economy. 

Tackling growing inequality in income distribution and wealth is a social challenge that demands an innovative approach. Academic Anthony B. Atkinson proposes 15 actions that combine old policies with new instruments.

John Knox, United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment, explains how climate change is endangering the right to life, health, water, food, housing, development and self-determination. 

With the aim of improving parental access to the labour market, the Council of Europe is working towards all countries in the European Union achieving 33% of children enrolled in pre-school education.

On average, men earn more than women for the same jobs. However, although the crisis reduced average salaries for everyone, the related growth in unemployment affected men more than women.

The higher the level of education, the bigger the salary? Effectively, in 2015, the earnings of people with higher education qualifications were, on average, nearly 38% higher than those of people who had only completed intermediate education.

What does the level of studies attained tell us about the structure of a society? Our country has a very high proportion of university graduates, but also a large percentage of people who have completed only primary education.

How many students of immigrant origin are enrolled in the education system? During the 2014-2015 academic year in Spain, they represented 8.6% of total students, a low proportion in comparison with many other European countries

Sometimes it is difficult to translate the language of international bodies that we use on a daily basis. What are the equivalences between the ISCED educational levels used by the UNESCO and the system used in Spain?

What is the cause behind such a high disparity in the participation rates in cultural offerings financed using public funds? Does this have a direct relationship with the population’s level of education?