However, a clear message in the report is that poverty and social exclusion are not inevitable. Belgium, Germany, Portugal and the UK succeeded in reducing the overall risk of poverty by at least 3 % between 1995 and 2001. The NAPs show that investing in effective social policies alongside sound economic and employment policies pays off. In general, those countries that invest more in social protection, such as the Nordic countries, Luxembourg, Austria, Netherlands and Germany, have lower levels of poverty and social exclusion.
En général, les pays qui investissent le plus dans la protection sociale, comme les pays nordiques, le Luxembourg, l'Autriche, les Pays-Bas et l'Allemagne, enregistrent des niveaux plus faibles de pauvreté et d'exclusion sociale.