Severe material & social deprivation rate in EU: 6.4%
In 2024, 6.4% of people in the EU faced severe material and social deprivation, indicating a slight decrease compared with 2023 (6.8%).
Young people under 18 were most affected by severe material and social deprivation (7.9%), followed by those aged 18 to 64 (6.4%), and those 65 and older (5.1%).
Women had higher rates of severe material and social deprivation than men (6.6% compared with 6.2%). This pattern of higher rates for women was consistent across all observed age groups, except for those under the age of 18.
Source dataset: ilc_mdsd11
Among EU countries, the highest share of people who faced severe material and social deprivation was recorded in Romania (17.2%), followed by Bulgaria (16.6%) and Greece (14.0%).
By contrast, the lowest rates were recorded in Slovenia (1.8%), Croatia (2.0%) and Poland (2.3%).
Source dataset: ilc_mdsd11
For more information
- Statistics Explained article on living conditions in Europe - material deprivation and economic strain
- Thematic section on income and living conditions
- Database on income and living conditions
- Key figures on European living conditions – 2024 edition
Methodological note
Material and social deprivation refers to the inability to afford a set of specific goods, services, or social activities that are considered by most people as essential for an adequate quality of life. The severe material and social deprivation rate is defined as the share of the population unable to afford 7 or more of these 13 items.
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