Madrid - In just one year, the number of children living in severe poverty in Spain rose by 80,000, the non-governmental organization Save the Children denounced.

Currently 1.388.474 children suffer this scourge, 16.7 percent of the child population of this European country, Save the Children said in a report, released to mark the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, on October 17.

These children live in households with less than 40 percent of the median income, approximately 9.000 euros per year for the whole family.

Poverty is measured by the index of material deprivation, the organization explained, based on data collected between 2014 and 2015.

This classification includes, among other indicators, delays in paying bills or purchasing housing; not being able to afford heating to keep the house warm, not being able to face unexpected financial expenses or not being able to afford a meal with meat.

In Spain, 756.594 children, 9.1 percent of the child population, live in homes that do not meet at least four of these indicators.

More than 13.3 million people, 28.6 percent of the population of the country, is at risk of poverty and social exclusion, according to a report released on Wednesday by the European Anti-Poverty Network (EAPN).

Of them, 3.5 million are facing a severe economic situation with incomes below the 4.500 euros per year, nearly 330 euros per month, according to data recorded by the AROPE rate (At Risk Of Poverty or Social Exclusion) in 2015.

The total number was reduced by 322.658 people (0.6 percent) compared to the year 2014, although it is almost four points higher than in 2009, when 11.546.214 Spanish people were at risk of poverty.

According to EAPN, Spain is the third most unequal country in the European Union after Romania and Serbia.