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Cornwall is the second poorest region in the whole of northern Europe and among the 50 poorest on the entire continent, according to data.

Figures produced by Eurostat, a European Union data agency, shows that people in Cornwall scrape by on less than £14,300 a year on average.

Alongside west Wales, the region receives more economic aid from the EU than any other part of the UK.

Over a quarter of children lived in poverty in Cornwall in 2016, and the county also has the one of the highest homelessness rates in the country.

Research conducted by the Cornwall Community Foundation (CCF) shows that urgent action is needed to improve both wages and the productivity of the local economy.

The report says Cornwall also performs poorly when it comes to housing and homelessness, education, access to services and inequality between the rich and poor.

"There are two Cornwalls," CCF chief executive Tamas Haydu said.

"The one we all love and that enriches our lives, and another that lies behind, where large numbers of people live on the edge of poverty, or in ill health, or in isolation, with fragmented or dysfunctional families and widespread indebtedness and disadvantage.

“Rural isolation, lack of transport, low wages and rocketing housing costs make a simple day at the beach something that many locals cannot afford.”

Going forward, Cornwall's economic situation faces a period of uncertainty as Brexit looms. Alongside west Wales, the region receives more economic aid from the EU than any other part of the UK.

Between 2014 and 2020, Cornwall will receive over €1,000 (£800) per person from the EU Structural and Investment Fund - similar to that received by Romania and Bulgaria.

The EU allocates the funds to each European nation to support sustainable economic development and reduce regional wealth disparities - it’s their way of trying to give a boost to the poorest parts of the continent.

Northern Europe's top ten poorest regions 1. West Wales UK 2. Cornwall UK 3. Durham and Tees Valley UK 4. Lincolnshire UK 5. South Yorkshire UK 6. Shropshire and Staffordshire UK 7. Lancashire UK 8. Northern Ireland UK 9. Hainaut Belgium 10. East Yorkshire & North Lincolnshire UK

Though it's not clear what will happen to these funds when we leave the EU, some experts say any loss will disproportionately affect poorer regions.

If one thing's certain, Cornwall will pull together and fight for a brighter future.

There are nine UK regions in the top ten of northern Europe’s most deprived areas.

West Wales, Cornwall, Durham, Lincolnshire, South Yorkshire, Shropshire/Staffordshire, Lancashire, Northern Ireland and East Yorkshire/North Lincolnshire are joined by the Belgian region of Hainaut, the only non-UK entry in the top ten.

In contrast, inner London is ranked as the richest area in northern Europe, meaning the gap between the richest and poorest region in the UK is the widest in the EU.

The Inequality Briefing, a non-political platform which analyses information on national inequality, said the reason the UK dominates the list is because it is much more ‘unequal’ than neighbouring nations.

A spokesman said: “In the UK, we think of ourselves as having similar standard of living as in other neighbouring countries like France, Germany and Holland.

“However, the poorest UK regions are by far the poorest in northern Europe.

“This is because the UK is much more unequal than other countries, where there is nowhere as rich as London, but nowhere as poor as our poorest regions.”

* Northern Europe includes France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Latvia, Estonia, Iceland, Norway and the Faroe Islands. Information from Eurostat, the data agency of the European Union.