The risk varies dramatically by country. Bulgaria (29.0%), Greece (27.5%), and Romania (27.4%) had the highest rates, while the lowest rates were recorded in Czechia (11.5%), Poland (15.0%), and Slovenia (15.5%). Employment status remains a critical factor: only 10.9% of employed citizens are at risk, whereas 66.3% of the unemployed are.
Vulnerable groups remain disproportionately affected. Women are at a higher risk than men (21.9% vs. 19.8%), and the exclusion rate is highest among young adults aged 18–24 at 26.3%. Additionally, over one-third of individuals with low educational background are at risk.
In contrast, the richest 10% of Europeans owned 67% of the continent’s wealth in 2024, a significant increase from 51% in 2020. Sweden’s top 10% own 74.4% of the country’s wealth, compared to 43.5% in Belgium. Among major economies, the top 10% in Germany hold 63% of the wealth, while in the UK, the top 10% hold 53.3%. The new data reaffirms the growing gap between the affluent and struggling populations.
