Around 20 million children grow up in vulnerable situations in the European Union

Omissions

• The MEP did not cite a specific source or reference year for the figure.
• The term 'vulnerable situations' (contexto de vulnerabilidade) is a broad political expression; the closest official EU metric is 'at risk of poverty or social exclusion' (AROPE), which combines monetary poverty, severe material and social deprivation, and low work-intensity households.
• The most recent official data available at the time of the speech (2024 Eurostat data, published May 2025) shows 19.5 million children, slightly below but fully consistent with 'around 20 million'.

Sources

• PrimaryEurostatIn 2024, 19.5 million children in the EU were at risk of poverty or social exclusion. This figure represented 24.2% of children under the age of 18.
• SecondaryUNICEFAlmost 1 in 4 children within the EU are at risk of poverty and social exclusion – a staggering 20 million children across 27 EU member states.
• SecondaryEurochildAccording to Eurostat data for 2023, nearly one in four children (24.8%) in the EU were at risk of poverty and social exclusion, a staggering 20 million.