The President of the Regional Government, Miguel Albuquerque, contested data suggesting 20% of Madeira's population is at risk of poverty. According to Albuquerque, the Regional Government's indicator points to a rate of 16%.
"That is not true, what we have now is 16%," stated the official, adding that Madeira shows lower figures than several Spanish regions, including the Canary Islands.
Albuquerque also questioned the suitability of certain statistical criteria for the regional reality, such as domestic heating needs, which differ from those in colder territories, arguing that comparisons should consider the island's climatic and territorial specificities.
