site.btaBulgaria Had Second Highest Share of People Facing Material and Social Deprivation in 2024 in EU

In 2024, 6.4% of people in the European Union experienced severe material and social deprivation, according to Eurostat. The data shows a slight decrease compared to 2023, when the share was 6.8%.

Young people under the age of 18 were the most affected, at 7.9%. The age group 18 to 64 accounted for 6.4%, while people aged 65 and over were affected at a rate of 5.1%.

Women experienced a higher rate of severe material and social deprivation than men - 6.6% compared to 6.2%. This trend was observed across all age groups, except for those under 18.

At the top of the list of countries with the highest share of people facing severe material and social deprivation is Romania (17.2%), followed by Bulgaria (16.6%) and Greece (14%).

On the other hand, the lowest shares were recorded in Slovenia (1.8%), followed by Croatia (2%) and Poland (2.3%).