EU poverty and social exclusion trends

Eurostat data indicates that in 2025, approximately 20.9% of the European Union population—roughly 92.7 million people—faced a risk of poverty or social exclusion. This figure is based on criteria including income below national thresholds, severe material and social deprivation, or low work intensity.

Regional disparities remain high. The highest risk concentrations were recorded in French Guiana (54.8%), Calabria (45.3%), Sicily (44.0%), Melilla (43.7%), and Réunion (42.3%). Nationally, Bulgaria reported the highest risk at 29.0%, while Czechia reported the lowest at 11.5%.

In response to budgetary planning for 2028–2034, the European Commission has proposed removing the requirement for member states with high child poverty rates to allocate at least 5% of the European Social Fund Plus to combat the issue. This proposal has met opposition from child rights organizations and the European Parliament. While the Parliament suggests increasing the threshold to 10% for certain countries, organizations express concern that the change could divert funding from prevention programs. Reports indicate over 19 million children in the EU are at risk, noting that while Romania’s risk rate improved from 41.5% in 2021–2022 to 32.4% in 2025, it remains a high-exposure country.