Czechia Has the EU’s Lowest Poverty Risk Rate, Eurostat Finds

Czechia has the lowest share of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion in the European Union, with 12% of its population affected, according to 2025 data from Eurostat.

The figure is well below the EU average of 21%, meaning that around one in five people across the bloc face the risk of poverty or social exclusion. Among children, the proportion rises to one in four.

The EU measure covers people whose incomes fall below the poverty-risk threshold, those experiencing severe material and social deprivation, and those living in households with very low work intensity.

Poland also records a relatively low rate, at 15%, followed by the Netherlands and Slovenia at 16%. Slovakia, Belgium, Finland and Cyprus each report 17%, while Austria stands at 19%.

At the other end of the scale, Bulgaria has the highest share of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion, at 29%. Greece follows at 28%, and Romania at 27%. Lithuania and Spain each report 26%, while Latvia stands at 25%. Italy records 23%, Estonia 22%, and Germany, France and Croatia each match the EU average of 21%.

EU Moves to Strengthen Anti-Poverty Measures

The figures come as European institutions seek to strengthen measures to reduce poverty and social exclusion across the bloc.

Earlier this year, the European Parliament called for more decisive action, stressing that poverty undermines human dignity and that everyone should have access to basic necessities.

In May, the European Commission adopted the EU’s first-ever anti-poverty strategy, setting out measures intended to prevent and reduce poverty across member states.

The strategy addresses several areas, including access to affordable housing, employment opportunities and support for families raising children. It also seeks to remove barriers to employment and tackle in-work poverty, which affects people who have jobs but still struggle to make ends meet.

Housing exclusion and the availability of social and affordable housing are among its priorities. The strategy also focuses on child poverty, support for older people through adequate pensions and opportunities to remain in employment, and efforts to combat discrimination and stigma.

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