According to Eurostat figures published June 14, 22% of the EU’s population, 95.3 million people, were at risk of poverty or social exclusion. The highest values were reported in Romania (34%), Bulgaria (32%), Greece, Spain and Latvia (all 26%).
AROPE is a measure of individuals at risk of poverty or social exclusion, indicating their material and social deprived status. It is the main indicator for monitoring the EU 2030 target on poverty and social exclusion, and was the headline indicator for the EU 2020 Strategy poverty target. The European Pillar of Social Rights proposes three EU-level targets to be achieved by 2030, including poverty and social exclusion and aims to reduce the number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion by at least 15 million. In 2021, the AROPE indicator was modified to reflect the new EU 2030 targets, including adjusting the severe material deprivation component and defining the (quasi)-jobless household indicator.
Czechia, Slovenia, and Poland had the lowest shares of residents in the AROPE category.
