EU Poverty Risk Landscape 2025: Deep Regional and Capital Disparities

In 2025, the European Union counted 92.7 million individuals—20.9 % of its population—who were at risk of poverty or social exclusion (AROPE). The share varied markedly across member states. Bulgaria (29.0 %), Greece (27.5 %) and Romania (27.4 %) recorded the highest national rates, while Czechia (11.5 %), Poland (15.0 %) and Slovenia (15.5 %) were at the opposite end. Among the four largest economies, Spain’s national AROPE stood at 25.7 %, exceeding the EU average, whereas France was just below it at 20.8 %.

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Eurostat defines AROPE as the proportion of people who are either at risk of poverty, severely materially and socially deprived (SMSD), or living in households with very low work intensity. The poverty threshold is set at 60 % of the national median disposable income after social transfers. SMSD captures an enforced lack of basic and desirable items needed for an adequate life.

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Capital cities show a striking spread: AROPE ranges from 2.9 % in Bratislava to 33.6 % in Brussels. Vienna (29.4 %) and Berlin (24.4 %) follow Brussels among the highest capitals, while Warsaw (7.1 %) and Prague (9.1 %) remain in single digits. In most nations the capital region’s rate is lower than the national average, but Brussels diverges sharply, standing at 33.6 % versus Belgium’s 16.5 %—a 17-point gap.

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Regional disparities are even wider. Italy exhibits the greatest internal divide, with Calabria at 45.3 % and Valle d’Aosta at 5.6 %, a 39.7-point spread. Spain’s gap between Ciudad de Melilla (43.7 %) and País Vasco (14.7 %) reaches 29 points. Finland’s narrowest gap is 3 points between Helsinki-Uusimaa (15.5 %) and Länsi-Suomi (18.5 %). In 2025, twenty regions had AROPE above 33 %, concentrated in Italy, Spain, Bulgaria, Greece, the Brussels-Capitale region, Bremen (Germany) and Ticino (Switzerland).

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The uneven distribution of poverty risk underscores divergent socioeconomic conditions within the EU. High-risk regions—particularly in Southern Europe and specific urban enclaves—face heightened pressure on social services, labor markets and cohesion policies. Conversely, low-risk capitals and northern regions may attract investment and talent, potentially widening the divide. Policymakers must tailor interventions to both national averages and localized hotspots to meet EU cohesion objectives.

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Eurostat, the EU’s statistical office, provides the AROPE indicator as a standard measure for monitoring poverty and social exclusion across member states. The agency emphasizes that the metric combines income-based risk, material deprivation and low work intensity, offering a multidimensional view of vulnerability.

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The dataset notes that “scope and definition of capital city and regions may differ,” with some figures referring to broader metropolitan areas rather than strict city limits. This variation can affect direct comparisons between capital-city AROPE rates and national averages, introducing uncertainty into the precise magnitude of urban-rural gaps.

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• “7 million people in the EU were at risk of poverty or social exclusion.” — Euronews

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