Data indicate that descendants of low-educated parents are more likely to live in poverty when they reach adulthood. In 2019, the at-risk-of-poverty rate in the EU was more than twice as high for adults (aged 25 to 59) whose parents had a low level of education (20.3%) than it was for people whose parents had achieved a high level of education (8.6%). The corresponding rate was 12.0% for people whose parents had a medium level of education.
Source dataset: ilc_igtp03
The share of people at risk of poverty who had parents with a low level of education was more than 20% in 10 EU Member states (Estonia, Greece, Luxembourg, Spain, Italy, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Bulgaria and Romania), with the highest rate recorded in Romania (37.4%).
In contrast, the lowest rates were observed in Czechia (9.3%) and Denmark (9.4%) as well as the Netherlands and Finland (both 10.3%).
The greatest at-risk-of-poverty rate among people who had highly educated parents was in Austria (14.8%) and Sweden (12.7%), whereas the lowest rates were recorded in Czechia (2.3%) and Romania (3.2%).
For more information:
- Eurostat Statistics Explained article on intergenerational transmission of disadvantages
- Eurostat dedicated section on income and living conditions
- Eurostat database on income and living conditions
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