site.btaBulgaria Second in EU for Share of Citizens at Risk of Poverty, Social Exclusion in 2023

In 2023, 94.6 million people in the EU (21% of the population) were at risk of poverty or social exclusion, according to data published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Commission, on Wednesday. This figure slightly decreased compared with 2022 (95.3 million, 22% of the population).

According to Eurostat, people at risk of poverty or social exclusion are those in households experiencing at least one of the three poverty and social exclusion risks: risk of poverty, severe material and social deprivation, and/or living in a household with very low work intensity.

Bulgaria ranks second in Europe after Romania for its share of citizens at risk of poverty and social exclusion.

The shares of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion varied across the EU countries in 2023. The highest values were reported in Romania (32%), Bulgaria (30%), Spain (27%) and Greece (26%). On the other hand, the lowest shares were recorded in Czechia (12%), Slovenia (14%), Finland and Poland (both 16%).