Poverty in the EU declined in the last decade, but disparities persist among nations
Poverty in the European Union declined between 2015 and 2023, despite differences among nations, according to a study published in PLOS One by Silvia Megyesiova and Cecilia Olexova of the Bratislava University of Economics and Business in Košice, Slovak Republic.
Reducing poverty is an international challenge. In 2021, as many as 1.3 billion people lived in poverty, while a further 240 million were classified as „extreme working poor.” Although income has traditionally been used as the sole measure of poverty, events like the COVID-19 pandemic have underscored its many facets. Physical and digital infrastructure, information literacy, environmental threats and more must be considered in any assessment.
The study examined poverty across and among European Union member states. To quantify poverty, the researchers used 10 metrics identified in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including „percent of persons at risk of monetary poverty after social transfer,” „housing cost overburden rate” and „severe material and social deprivation rate.” The analysis covered three periods: 2015–2019, 2020 (examined separately because of the COVID-19 pandemic) and 2021–2023.
Overall, poverty in the European Union declined from 2015 to 2023. In 2015, the rate of persons at risk of monetary poverty after social transfer was 17.4%. By 2023, it had fallen to 16.2%. The average severe material and social deprivation rate also dropped, from 9.7% to 6.8%.
Individual countries followed a similar trajectory. In 2015, Spain, Lithuania, Latvia and Romania had poverty rates above 22%. By 2023, only Estonia and Latvia were in that category. Romania showed the greatest improvement between 2015 and 2023: The percentage of persons at risk of monetary poverty fell from 25.4% to 21.1%. Bulgaria, Greece, Romania and Latvia formed the most vulnerable cluster from 2021 to 2023, while several countries in Northern and Western Europe showed more stable trends. The results highlight the need for sustainable policies tailored to each country’s needs to increase resilience and ultimately eradicate poverty.
The authors add, „Poverty and social exclusion across EU countries cannot be understood through economic prosperity alone. Looking beyond income, particularly at material deprivation, housing conditions and digital skills, provides a more complete picture of social vulnerability across the European Union.
„While poverty generally declined over the analyzed period, substantial disparities between EU member states persisted, with Bulgaria, Romania, Greece and Latvia forming the most vulnerable cluster in the final period (2021–2023). The findings also show that multidimensional poverty profiles evolve over time and do not necessarily follow traditional geographical divisions within Europe.”
