In 2025, 92.7 million people in the EU were at risk of poverty or social exclusion. This equals 20.9% of the total population, or almost one in five people. Risk of poverty or social exclusion rates (AROPE) vary significantly not only across European countries but also within each country, across regions.
So, which countries and regions have the highest rates of poverty risk? How wide is the gap between capital cities and their national averages?
According to Eurostat, Bulgaria (29.0%), Greece (27.5%) and Romania (27.4%) had the highest AROPE rates in 2025. The lowest were recorded in Czechia (11.5%), Poland (15.0%) and Slovenia (15.5%).
Among the EU's four largest economies, Spain stands out with the highest rate at 25.7%, meaning more than one in four people are at risk. Germany (21.2%) and Italy (22.6%) are both above the EU average of 20.9%. France (20.8%) is just below it.
Poverty risk in capitals
