Greece ranks worst in EU for child material deprivation, Eurostat data shows

Greece has recorded the highest rate of material deprivation among children under 16 within the EU, according to the latest Eurostat figures.

The report reveals that in 2024, one in three children in Greece—33.6 per cent—experienced material deprivation, placing the country at the top of the EU list. Romania followed closely with 31.8 per cent, and Bulgaria ranked third at 30.4 per cent, Caliber.Az reports via Greek media.

Material deprivation is defined by Eurostat as the enforced lack of at least three out of seventeen essential items necessary for an acceptable standard of living. Of these, twelve items specifically relate to children’s needs, while five pertain to household essentials. The inability to afford these goods and services highlights the significant economic and social challenges faced by many families.

The analysis examined children across different age groups and considered how parental education levels impacted deprivation rates. All data were sourced from Eurostat’s online database, based on EU statistics concerning income and living conditions.

Across the EU, the average rate of child material deprivation was 13.6 per cent. The lowest levels were recorded in Croatia (2.7 per cent), Slovenia (3.8 per cent), and Sweden (5.6 per cent).

The report notes, “One of the factors that affects material deprivation of children, further to the reducing effect that targeted social transfers can have, is the level of education of their parents, which is largely linked to their labour market situation.”

Children whose parents have lower educational attainment are more likely to face material deprivation. EU-wide, only 5.6 percent of children with parents holding tertiary education were materially deprived, compared to 39.1 percent of children whose parents completed at most lower secondary education.

In Greece, however, this pattern was less clear. The country reported some of the highest deprivation rates among children regardless of whether their parents had higher or lower education.

Greece also had the third highest share (77.2 per cent) of materially deprived children from lower-educated households, after Slovakia (88.6 per cent) and Bulgaria (84.1 per cent). More strikingly, Greece recorded the highest proportion of material deprivation among children in households where parents held tertiary education—17.6 per cent—followed by Spain (11.6 per cent) and Bulgaria (8.1 per cent).

By Naila Huseynova