According to the latest Eurostat data for 2024, Greece ranks fourth from last among European Union member states in terms of risk of poverty or social exclusion among children. Approximately 27.9% of children under 18 in Greece are affected, a figure higher than the EU average of 24.2%.

Greece places behind Bulgaria (35.1%), Spain (34.6%), and Romania (33.8%) in this category. In contrast, the lowest EU child poverty rates were recorded in Slovenia (11.8%), Cyprus (14.8%), and the Czech Republic (15.4%).

Source: Eurostat

Eurostat defines this particular risk indicator, known as AROPE (At Risk of Poverty or Social Exclusion), to reflect the share of the population at risk of poverty and/or experiencing severe material and social deprivation, and/or living in households with very low work intensity. It is the main indicator that monitors the EU’s 2030 target on poverty and social exclusion.

Though many economic indicators in Greece have greatly improved since the economic crisis, AROPE for children under 18 has dropped only marginally from 32.4% in 2015, underscoring the persistent problem of childhood poverty over the last decade.

Cover Photo Credit: Oxfam