European poverty and social exclusion trends

Recent reports highlight significant poverty and social exclusion risks across various European nations.

In Portugal, data from the National Institute of Statistics shows that approximately 18.6% of the population, or nearly 2 million people, were at risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2025. Key challenges include material and social deprivation affecting 10.2% of the population and housing issues where 15.6% live in homes that cannot be adequately heated. Vulnerability is particularly high among the unemployed, who face a 42.6% poverty risk.

In Lithuania, the poverty risk reached its highest level since 2018, affecting 22.6% of the population in 2025. This figure places the country at the bottom of the European Union, where the average risk is 16.3%. The 2026 Poverty and Social Exclusion Review notes that employment is no longer a guaranteed protection against poverty. Vulnerable demographics include seniors, single individuals, people with disabilities, and single parents, with elderly women facing particularly high risks.

Aistė Adomavičienė, director of the National Network of Poverty Reduction Organizations, noted that despite rising incomes, income inequality remains high and the situation for vulnerable groups is not improving. There is a rising trend of poverty risk among the working population. Based on 2024 income data, the poverty risk threshold for a single person was €699 per month, while for a family of two adults and two children, it was €1,468.