Only 11.3% of the Czech population was at risk of poverty or social exclusion last year, which is the lowest percentage in the entire European Union, according to a report by the European statistical office Eurostat.
Bulgaria (30.3%) and Romania (27.9%) had the highest share of the population at risk of poverty and social exclusion in 2024. Other member states with a high share were Greece (26.9%), Spain and Lithuania (each 25.8%).
Across the EU, 93.3 million people were at risk of poverty or social exclusion last year, 21% of the population.
Other EU countries with a lower share of the population threatened by poverty were Slovenia (14.4%), the Netherlands (15.4%), Poland (16%) and Ireland (16.7%).
Lukas Kovanda, head economist for Trinity Bank, said the Czech Republic has seen lower risk of poverty only once before, in 2021 (10.7% of the population). “This year, the Czech Republic is also outperforming Scandinavian countries such as Finland (16.8%) and Denmark (18%), which are textbook examples of relatively egalitarian and at the same time economically efficient, social-market economies,” he said.
“The data mentioned above show that the Czech Republic is an egalitarian country, even by EU standards, and its social system effectively tames possible excesses of social exclusion,” Kovanda said.
According to Eurostat, women (21.9%) were more likely to be poor or socially excluded than men (20%) across the EU last year.
Employment was also a very important factor, with 66.6% of the unemployed at risk of poverty or social exclusion, compared to 10.9% of the employed.
People in the 18-24 age group were the most at risk of poverty or social exclusion in the EU (26.2%), while people in the 25-49 age group were the least at risk (19.2%). People with lower levels of education were also more likely to be poor.
