Data / Rankings / At risk of poverty or social exclusion rate (AROPE) / EU countries

EU countries by at risk of poverty or social exclusion rate (AROPE)

Romania had the highest at risk of poverty or social exclusion rate (AROPE) of 27 EU countries in 2018, at 38.7%. Czechia had the lowest, at 11.8%. The median was 20.1% and the figure for the European Union (27) was 21.7%. Source: Eurostat, European Commission.

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Highest38.7Romania
Lowest11.8Czechia
Median20.127 EU countries
European Union (27)21.7History

Map of EU countries, 2018

Austria: 16.8 %Belgium: 20.5 %Bulgaria: 33 %Cyprus: 19.1 %Czechia: 11.8 %Germany: 18.5 %Denmark: 17.5 %Estonia: 23.6 %Spain: 27.3 %Finland: 16.6 %France: 17.9 %Greece: 30.3 %Croatia: 22.1 %Hungary: 20.6 %Ireland: 20.8 %Italy: 25.7 %Lithuania: 28.5 %Luxembourg: 20.1 %Latvia: 28.4 %Malta: 19.2 %Netherlands: 16.5 %Poland: 18.2 %Portugal: 21.6 %Romania: 38.7 %Sweden: 17.7 %Slovenia: 15.4 %Slovakia: 15.2 %
  • Under 17
  • 17 to 19
  • 19 to 21
  • 21 to 27
  • 27 and over
%, 2018. Source: Eurostat, Persons at risk of poverty or social exclusion, percentage of the total population (ilc_peps01n). Boundaries: Natural Earth (public domain).

All EU countries, 2018

Romania: 38.7 %Romania38.7Bulgaria: 33 %Bulgaria33Greece: 30.3 %Greece30.3Lithuania: 28.5 %Lithuania28.5Latvia: 28.4 %Latvia28.4Spain: 27.3 %Spain27.3Italy: 25.7 %Italy25.7Estonia: 23.6 %Estonia23.6Croatia: 22.1 %Croatia22.1Portugal: 21.6 %Portugal21.6Ireland: 20.8 %Ireland20.8Hungary: 20.6 %Hungary20.6Belgium: 20.5 %Belgium20.5Luxembourg: 20.1 %Luxembourg20.1Malta: 19.2 %Malta19.2Cyprus: 19.1 %Cyprus19.1Germany: 18.5 %Germany18.5Poland: 18.2 %Poland18.2France: 17.9 %France17.9Sweden: 17.7 %Sweden17.7Denmark: 17.5 %Denmark17.5Austria: 16.8 %Austria16.8Finland: 16.6 %Finland16.6Netherlands: 16.5 %Netherlands16.5Slovenia: 15.4 %Slovenia15.4Slovakia: 15.2 %Slovakia15.2Czechia: 11.8 %Czechia11.8Romania: 38.7 %Romania38.7Bulgaria: 33 %Bulgaria33Greece: 30.3 %Greece30.3Lithuania: 28.5 %Lithuania28.5Latvia: 28.4 %Latvia28.4Spain: 27.3 %Spain27.3Italy: 25.7 %Italy25.7Estonia: 23.6 %Estonia23.6Croatia: 22.1 %Croatia22.1Portugal: 21.6 %Portugal21.6Ireland: 20.8 %Ireland20.8Hungary: 20.6 %Hungary20.6Belgium: 20.5 %Belgium20.5Luxembourg: 20.1 %Luxembourg20.1Malta: 19.2 %Malta19.2Cyprus: 19.1 %Cyprus19.1Germany: 18.5 %Germany18.5Poland: 18.2 %Poland18.2France: 17.9 %France17.9Sweden: 17.7 %Sweden17.7Denmark: 17.5 %Denmark17.5Austria: 16.8 %Austria16.8Finland: 16.6 %Finland16.6Netherlands: 16.5 %Netherlands16.5Slovenia: 15.4 %Slovenia15.4Slovakia: 15.2 %Slovakia15.2Czechia: 11.8 %Czechia11.8
%. Source: Eurostat, Persons at risk of poverty or social exclusion, percentage of the total population (ilc_peps01n). Retrieved 2026-10-18.

Full ranking

RankEU countries2018 (%)Change on 2017
1Romania38.7-3.8 pts
2Bulgaria33-5 pts
3Greece30.3-1.9 pts
4Lithuania28.5-1.3 pts
5Latvia28.4-0.1 pts
6Spain27.3-0.2 pts
7Italy25.7-0.2 pts
8Estonia23.6+0.3 pts
9Croatia22.1-1.6 pts
10Portugal21.6-1.8 pts
11Ireland20.8-1.6 pts
12Hungary20.6-5.3 pts
13Belgium20.5-1.5 pts
14Luxembourg20.1+0.8 pts
15Malta19.2-0.2 pts
16Cyprus19.1-2.3 pts
17Germany18.5-0.3 pts
18Poland18.2-0.5 pts
19France17.9+0.1 pts
20Sweden17.7+0.5 pts
21Denmark17.5-0.3 pts
22Austria16.8-0.3 pts
23Finland16.6+0.6 pts
24Netherlands16.5-0.1 pts
25Slovenia15.4-1.2 pts
26Slovakia15.2-0.6 pts
27Czechia11.8-0.3 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

People who are at risk of poverty (equivalised disposable income below 60% of the national median after social transfers), severely materially and socially deprived, or living in a household with very low work intensity, as a percentage of the total population. Each person is counted once even if more than one condition applies.

The headline EU 2030 social target indicator, in the definition used since 2021 and back-calculated to 2015. Wider than the at-risk-of-poverty rate (at_risk_of_poverty_rate), which counts low income only. From the EU statistics on income and living conditions (EU-SILC). Income refers to the previous calendar year in most countries. Eurostat flags series breaks; they are stored as status break.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the EU countries are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

Eurostat. Persons at risk of poverty or social exclusion, percentage of the total population (ilc_peps01n). https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/ilc_peps01n/default/table. Retrieved 2026-10-18.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

Eurostat, European Commission. (2026). Persons at risk of poverty or social exclusion, percentage of the total population (ilc_peps01n) (EU countries by at risk of poverty or social exclusion rate (AROPE), 2018) [Data set]. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/ilc_peps01n/default/table

MLA 9

Persons at risk of poverty or social exclusion, percentage of the total population (ilc_peps01n), EU countries by at risk of poverty or social exclusion rate (AROPE), 2018. Eurostat, European Commission, 5 Oct. 2026, https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/ilc_peps01n/default/table. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/at-risk-of-poverty-or-social-exclusion-rate/eu-countries?period=2018. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

Eurostat, European Commission. 2026. Persons at risk of poverty or social exclusion, percentage of the total population (ilc_peps01n). EU countries by at risk of poverty or social exclusion rate (AROPE), 2018. Dataset. Accessed October 18, 2026. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/ilc_peps01n/default/table. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/at-risk-of-poverty-or-social-exclusion-rate/eu-countries?period=2018.

Harvard

Eurostat, European Commission (2026) Persons at risk of poverty or social exclusion, percentage of the total population (ilc_peps01n), EU countries by at risk of poverty or social exclusion rate (AROPE), 2018 [Dataset]. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/ilc_peps01n/default/table, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/at-risk-of-poverty-or-social-exclusion-rate/eu-countries?period=2018 (Accessed: 18 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{eurostat_eu_countries_by_at_2018,
  author = {{Eurostat, European Commission}},
  title = {{Persons at risk of poverty or social exclusion, percentage of the total population (ilc\_peps01n): EU countries by at risk of poverty or social exclusion rate (AROPE), 2018}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/ilc_peps01n/default/table},
  urldate = {2026-10-18},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/at-risk-of-poverty-or-social-exclusion-rate/eu-countries?period=2018. Publisher attribution: Eurostat. Persons at risk of poverty or social exclusion, percentage of the total population (ilc\_peps01n). https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/ilc\_peps01n/default/table. Retrieved 2026-10-18.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - Eurostat, European Commission
TI  - Persons at risk of poverty or social exclusion, percentage of the total population (ilc_peps01n): EU countries by at risk of poverty or social exclusion rate (AROPE), 2018
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/05
PB  - Eurostat, European Commission
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/ilc_peps01n/default/table
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/at-risk-of-poverty-or-social-exclusion-rate/eu-countries?period=2018
Y2  - 2026/10/18
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/at-risk-of-poverty-or-social-exclusion-rate/eu-countries?period=2018.
N1  - Publisher attribution: Eurostat. Persons at risk of poverty or social exclusion, percentage of the total population (ilc_peps01n). https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/ilc_peps01n/default/table. Retrieved 2026-10-18.
ER  -
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Questions

Which EU country has the highest at risk of poverty or social exclusion rate (AROPE)?

Romania, with 38.7% in 2018, according to Eurostat, European Commission.

Which EU country has the lowest at risk of poverty or social exclusion rate (AROPE)?

Czechia, with 11.8% in 2018.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: Eurostat, European Commission, Persons at risk of poverty or social exclusion, percentage of the total population (ilc_peps01n). Retrieved 2026-10-18.

At risk of poverty or social exclusion rate (AROPE): other rankings

EU countries: more rankings