One in seven children in the EU is in need

According to Eurostat data published on 13 June 2025, 13.6% of children in the European Union under the age of 16 faced material deprivation in 2024. This means that they could not afford at least three of the 17 basic goods and services that are considered the minimum necessary for a decent life. The list includes fresh fruit and vegetables, daily meat or fish, books, the opportunity to participate in school trips and holidays, suitable clothing, warm housing, internet access and even a car in the family.

The most alarming figures are recorded in Greece (33.6%), Romania (31.8%) and Bulgaria (30.4%), where every third child lives in conditions of deprivation. At the opposite pole are Croatia (2.7 per cent), Slovenia (3.8 per cent) and Sweden (5.6 per cent), where the situation is noticeably more stable.

One of the most striking factors is the impact of parents' education level on children's poverty. Among children whose parents have graduated from university, only 5.6 per cent face material need. But if at least one parent in the family has only basic education (at most secondary school level), the risk of deprivation jumps to 39.1 per cent - that is, almost 7 times higher.

Moreover, the differences between countries become particularly stark if only families with low levels of education are considered. In Slovakia, 88.6 per cent of such children live in deprivation, in Bulgaria - 84.1 per cent, in Greece - 77.2 per cent. But in Poland (9.1 per cent), Luxembourg (9.2 per cent) and Sweden (12.2 per cent), even in such conditions, children are much less likely to be in need. This indicates a high level of social support and redistributive mechanisms.

Interestingly, even among families with higher education, the situation may differ. In Greece, despite having diplomas, 17.6% of children of such parents still live in conditions of need. In Spain - 11.6 per cent, in Bulgaria - 8.1 per cent. But in Slovenia, Croatia and the Czech Republic this indicator fluctuates around the symbolic mark of 0.6-0.8 per cent.

Eurostat emphasises that this is not just poverty in the usual sense. Material need is recorded when specific things are missing precisely because of the inability to afford them, and not for other reasons. This is a clear symptom of the social and economic vulnerability of the family.

The facts from the report are thought-provoking: despite economic growth and a strong social protection system, the EU still faces deep structural inequalities, especially in southern and eastern Europe. Childhood poverty is not just a statistic: it affects health, school performance, future employment and social participation.