One in twelve Europeans cannot afford a proper meal
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New Eurostat data published on 28 August 2025 shows a worrying picture: 8.5% of the EU population in 2024 could not afford a full meal with meat, fish or equivalent every other day. Despite the improvement compared to 2023 (the figure was 9.5% then), the figures are still worrying.
Particularly high rates were observed among people below the poverty line - almost every fifth (19.4%) in this group did not have access to a balanced diet. At the same time, among those who are not considered poor, only 6.4% were in a similar situation. This gap emphasises the depth of social inequality in access to basic necessities of life.
At the national level, three countries with the most difficult situation are highlighted:
- Slovakia - 39.8% of the poor could not afford proper food;
- Bulgaria - 37.7%;
- Hungary - 37.3%.
In comparison, Cyprus (3.5%), Ireland and Portugal (5.1% each) had the lowest proportion of food insecure poor.
Assessing the ability to eat regularly is part of a broader system of indicators aimed at identifying material and social deprivation. These data are included in the indicators on the risk of poverty or social exclusion, which play an important role in the implementation of the European Social Rights Policy.
