person taking note of expenses and working on calculator

In 2025, 12.1% of people in the EU could not afford to participate regularly in a leisure activity. This share ranged from 3.9% in Croatia to 27.3% in Greece. 

Additionally, 8.5% of people could not afford a meal with meat, chicken, fish (or vegetarian equivalent) every second day. This share ranged from 1.2% in Cyprus to 18.1% in Romania.

When it comes to internet access, 2.0% of people in the EU could not afford an internet connection for personal use at home. This share ranged from 0.1% in Finland to 6.2% in Romania. 

People unable to pay for selected items, 2025 (% of total population). inforgraphic. Link to full datasets below

 Source datasets: ilc_mdes11a, ilc_mdes03 and ilc_mddu07a

This information comes from Key figures on European living conditions – 2026 edition. This publication outlines the key findings on living conditions in the EU, with a special focus on its most vulnerable groups. For a more detailed view of the EU’s performance in various fields, explore the other Key figures publications. 

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Methodological notes

This article relies on data from Key figures on European living conditions - 2026 edition. Note that some of the data may have been updated since its publication.

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