In this article, we discuss the 20 poorest countries in Europe. If you want to see the top poorest countries in this region, check out 5 Poorest Countries in Europe.

As per Eurostat’s findings, approximately 21.7% of the population in the European Union (EU), amounting to about 95.4 million people, faced the risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2021. The findings showed that women, young adults, individuals with limited educational qualifications, and, more specifically, unemployed people were at a greater risk of poverty or social exclusion. In the European Union, although the probability of employed people facing poverty or social exclusion stood at 11.1%, and that of retired persons was 18.6%, for unemployed and other idle individuals, the risk of poverty or social exclusion stood at 64.5% and 42.3%, respectively. Among the nations within the EU, Romania, Bulgaria, and Greece exhibited the highest percentages of individuals identified as facing the risk of poverty. Eurostat reported that families with dependent children were more likely to face the threat of poverty or social exclusion at 22.5%, compared to families without dependents at 20.9%.

According to Euronews, compared to the general population, there is a greater risk of young Europeans falling victim to poverty. In 2021, data indicated that 20% of individuals in the age group of 15 to 29 faced a risk of poverty. Moreover, the overall at-risk-of-poverty rate for the entire population of the EU was recorded at 17%. In terms of the disparity between at-risk young individuals and the general population, Denmark exhibited the most significant divide, with 25.6% of young people facing risks compared to 12.3% of the overall population. Sweden followed closely behind Denmark, with a margin of nearly nine percentage points. Eurostat explained this indicator in the following words: