Data / Rankings / People who cannot afford a week of holiday / EU countries

EU countries by people who cannot afford a week of holiday

Romania had the highest people who cannot afford a week of holiday of 27 EU countries in 2020, at 56.1%. Sweden had the lowest, at 9.7%. The median was 28.6% and the figure for the European Union (27) was 28.7%. Source: Eurostat, European Commission.

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Highest56.1Romania
Lowest9.7Sweden
Median28.627 EU countries
European Union (27)28.7History

Map of EU countries, 2020

Austria: 12.8 %Belgium: 21.5 %Bulgaria: 39.3 %Cyprus: 42.5 %Czechia: 18.7 %Germany: 22.4 %Denmark: 12.3 %Estonia: 23.1 %Spain: 34.5 %Finland: 12.6 %France: 22.3 %Greece: 53.1 %Croatia: 49.4 %Hungary: 38.4 %Ireland: 28.2 %Italy: 35.7 %Lithuania: 35.5 %Luxembourg: 11.4 %Latvia: 28.6 %Malta: 32.9 %Netherlands: 13.2 %Poland: 29.4 %Portugal: 38.1 %Romania: 56.1 %Sweden: 9.7 %Slovenia: 18.4 %Slovakia: 34.8 %
  • Under 14
  • 14 to 23
  • 23 to 34
  • 34 to 38
  • 38 and over
%, 2020. Source: Eurostat, Inability to afford paying for one week annual holiday away from home, total population, all household types and incomes (ilc_mdes02). Boundaries: Natural Earth (public domain).

All EU countries, 2020

Romania: 56.1 %Romania56.1Greece: 53.1 %Greece53.1Croatia: 49.4 %Croatia49.4Cyprus: 42.5 %Cyprus42.5Bulgaria: 39.3 %Bulgaria39.3Hungary: 38.4 %Hungary38.4Portugal: 38.1 %Portugal38.1Italy: 35.7 %Italy35.7Lithuania: 35.5 %Lithuania35.5Slovakia: 34.8 %Slovakia34.8Spain: 34.5 %Spain34.5Malta: 32.9 %Malta32.9Poland: 29.4 %Poland29.4Latvia: 28.6 %Latvia28.6Ireland: 28.2 %Ireland28.2Estonia: 23.1 %Estonia23.1Germany: 22.4 %Germany22.4France: 22.3 %France22.3Belgium: 21.5 %Belgium21.5Czechia: 18.7 %Czechia18.7Slovenia: 18.4 %Slovenia18.4Netherlands: 13.2 %Netherlands13.2Austria: 12.8 %Austria12.8Finland: 12.6 %Finland12.6Denmark: 12.3 %Denmark12.3Luxembourg: 11.4 %Luxembourg11.4Sweden: 9.7 %Sweden9.7Romania: 56.1 %Romania56.1Greece: 53.1 %Greece53.1Croatia: 49.4 %Croatia49.4Cyprus: 42.5 %Cyprus42.5Bulgaria: 39.3 %Bulgaria39.3Hungary: 38.4 %Hungary38.4Portugal: 38.1 %Portugal38.1Italy: 35.7 %Italy35.7Lithuania: 35.5 %Lithuania35.5Slovakia: 34.8 %Slovakia34.8Spain: 34.5 %Spain34.5Malta: 32.9 %Malta32.9Poland: 29.4 %Poland29.4Latvia: 28.6 %Latvia28.6Ireland: 28.2 %Ireland28.2Estonia: 23.1 %Estonia23.1Germany: 22.4 %Germany22.4France: 22.3 %France22.3Belgium: 21.5 %Belgium21.5Czechia: 18.7 %Czechia18.7Slovenia: 18.4 %Slovenia18.4Netherlands: 13.2 %Netherlands13.2Austria: 12.8 %Austria12.8Finland: 12.6 %Finland12.6Denmark: 12.3 %Denmark12.3Luxembourg: 11.4 %Luxembourg11.4Sweden: 9.7 %Sweden9.7
%. Source: Eurostat, Inability to afford paying for one week annual holiday away from home, total population, all household types and incomes (ilc_mdes02). Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankEU countries2020 (%)Change on 2019
1Romania56.1+2 pts
2Greece53.1+3.9 pts
3Croatia49.4+0.8 pts
4Cyprus42.5-3 pts
5Bulgaria39.3+3.8 pts
6Hungary38.4-2.7 pts
7Portugal38.1-1.9 pts
8Italy35.7-6.2 pts
9Lithuania35.5-3.4 pts
10Slovakia34.8-2.5 pts
11Spain34.5+1 pts
12Malta32.9+2.1 pts
13Poland29.4-3.8 pts
14Latvia28.6+0.9 pts
15Ireland Series break28.2-1.5 pts
16Estonia23.1-1.5 pts
17Germany Series break22.4+9.6 pts
18France Series break22.3+0.1 pts
19Belgium21.5-0.9 pts
20Czechia18.7-1 pts
21Slovenia18.4-1 pts
22Netherlands13.2-1.4 pts
23Austria12.8-0.1 pts
24Finland12.6+0.8 pts
25Denmark12.3+1.5 pts
26Luxembourg Series break11.4+1.3 pts
27Sweden9.7-0.5 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Share of the population living in households that cannot afford to pay for one week of annual holiday away from home (EU-SILC, all household types and incomes).

EU statistics on income and living conditions (EU-SILC). The reference year is the survey year. Self-reported by households; a share of people, not of households.

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. Inability to afford paying for one week annual holiday away from home, total population, all household types and incomes (ilc_mdes02). https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/ilc_mdes02/default/table. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

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). Inability to afford paying for one week annual holiday away from home, total population, all household types and incomes (ilc_mdes02) (EU countries by people who cannot afford a week of holiday, 2020) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/ilc_mdes02/default/table

MLA 9

Inability to afford paying for one week annual holiday away from home, total population, all household types and incomes (ilc_mdes02), EU countries by people who cannot afford a week of holiday, 2020. Eurostat, European Commission, 17 Sept. 2026, https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/ilc_mdes02/default/table. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/cannot-afford-holiday/eu-countries?period=2020. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

Eurostat, European Commission. 2026. Inability to afford paying for one week annual holiday away from home, total population, all household types and incomes (ilc_mdes02). EU countries by people who cannot afford a week of holiday, 2020. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/ilc_mdes02/default/table. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/cannot-afford-holiday/eu-countries?period=2020.

Harvard

Eurostat, European Commission (2026) Inability to afford paying for one week annual holiday away from home, total population, all household types and incomes (ilc_mdes02), EU countries by people who cannot afford a week of holiday, 2020 [Dataset]. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/ilc_mdes02/default/table, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/cannot-afford-holiday/eu-countries?period=2020 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{eurostat_eu_countries_by_people_2020,
  author = {{Eurostat, European Commission}},
  title = {{Inability to afford paying for one week annual holiday away from home, total population, all household types and incomes (ilc\_mdes02): EU countries by people who cannot afford a week of holiday, 2020}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/ilc_mdes02/default/table},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/cannot-afford-holiday/eu-countries?period=2020. Publisher attribution: Eurostat. Inability to afford paying for one week annual holiday away from home, total population, all household types and incomes (ilc\_mdes02). https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/ilc\_mdes02/default/table. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - Eurostat, European Commission
TI  - Inability to afford paying for one week annual holiday away from home, total population, all household types and incomes (ilc_mdes02): EU countries by people who cannot afford a week of holiday, 2020
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/17
PB  - Eurostat, European Commission
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/ilc_mdes02/default/table
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/cannot-afford-holiday/eu-countries?period=2020
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/cannot-afford-holiday/eu-countries?period=2020.
N1  - Publisher attribution: Eurostat. Inability to afford paying for one week annual holiday away from home, total population, all household types and incomes (ilc_mdes02). https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/ilc_mdes02/default/table. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which EU country has the highest people who cannot afford a week of holiday?

Romania, with 56.1% in 2020, according to Eurostat, European Commission.

Which EU country has the lowest people who cannot afford a week of holiday?

Sweden, with 9.7% in 2020.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: Eurostat, European Commission, Inability to afford paying for one week annual holiday away from home, total population, all household types and incomes (ilc_mdes02). Retrieved 2026-10-12.

EU countries: more rankings