Eurostat finds that nearly 20 million children in the EU are at risk of poverty 

According to a 2023 study by Eurostat, nearly a quarter of children in the EU – 20 million in total – are now at risk of poverty or social exclusion. 

The study uses an ‘at risk of poverty or social exclusion’ (AROPE) metric that looks at three different aspects to determine how many children in the EU are at risk of poverty or exclusion. These are the risk of poverty, severe material and social deprivation, and living in a household with very low work intensity. People are counted only once, even if they fall into multiple categories.

Material deprivation is measured based on a household’s lack of access to seven out of 13 essential items. These items include the ability to pay utility bills on time, maintain adequate heating, and provide each adult with two pairs of properly fitting shoes.

The assessment considers the status of at least half of the adults in the household, and children are considered deprived if any adult lacks these essentials.

Although the figures seem high overall, some disparities were found across the EU. Romania and Spain exhibit the highest AROPE rates, at 39% and 34.5%, respectively. In contrast, Slovenia (10.7%), Finland (13.8%), and the Netherlands (14.3%) show the lowest rates.

One way the EU plans to address this is with the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan, which aims to lift 15 million people out of poverty or social exclusion by 2030, including at least 5 million children. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and rising inflation have complicated this goal, as highlighted by recent Eurostat data.

In her Political Guidelines 2024 – 2029 presentation to the European Parliament on July 18, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also announced the creation of the “first-ever EU Anti-Poverty Strategy.” The guidelines also propose a renewed focus on social fairness, featuring a new action plan to implement the European Pillar of Social Rights.