Cyprus ranked just around the average as regards shares of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion recorded in European Union members in 2021, according to Eurostat.
Specifically, the percentage was 17.3% in 2021, compared to 17.6% in 2020 – the year that Cyprus’ economy was also shaken by the pandemic’s effects. This was below the EU average which was 21.7%.
Overall, the EU’s statistical service data also showed on Thursday that 95.4 million people in the EU, representing 21.7% of the population, were at risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2021.
This means that one in five people in Europe lived in households experiencing at least one of the three poverty and social exclusion risks.
The risk of poverty or social exclusion varied across the EU Member States. The highest shares of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion were recorded in Romania (34%), Bulgaria (32%), Greece and Spain (both 28%).
In contrast, the lowest shares of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion were recorded in Czechia (11%), Slovenia (13%) and Finland (14%).
