Poverty in Europe
The global context of poverty and hunger
In September 2015, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. SDG 1 seeks to “End poverty in all its forms everywhere” and SDG 2 seeks to “End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture”.
Poverty or social exclusion in the EU-27
In 2021, 95.4 million people in the EU (21.7% of the population) were at risk of poverty or social exclusion, a slight increase compared with 2020.
Among the 95.4 million people in the EU that faced the risk of poverty or social exclusion, some 5.9 million (1.3% of the total population) lived in households experiencing all three poverty and social exclusion risks simultaneously. In 2021, 73.7 million people in the EU were at risk of poverty, while 27.0 million were severely materially and socially deprived, and 29.3 million lived in a household with low work intensity.
The highest shares of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion were recorded in Romania (34%), Bulgaria (32%), Greece and Spain (both 28%).
In contrast, the lowest shares of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion were recorded in Czechia (11%), Slovenia (13%) and Finland (14%).
Learn more about poverty and social exclusion in the EU here (updated in September 2022).
