Cyprus recorded one of the lowest rates of severe material and social deprivation in the European Union in 2024, standing at just 2.5%, the fifth-lowest among the 27 member states, according to fresh Eurostat data.
Across the EU, 6.4% of the population faced severe material and social deprivation last year, a slight improvement from 2023 (6.8%). However, enequalities remain significant, particularly between age groups and genders.
Children and adolescents under 18 were the most vulnerable group, with a deprivation rate of 7.9%, followed by adults aged 18–64 (6.4%) and the elderly aged 65 and over (5.1%). Women were more affected than men (6.6% versus 6.2%), a trend observed across all age groups except minors.
The countries with the highest deprivation rates were Romania (17.2%), Bulgaria (16.6%), and Greece (14.0%), while the lowest rates were recorded in Slovenia (1.8%), Croatia (2.0%), and Poland (2.3%).
