Estelle Ceulemans· S&D

Overestimated

Currently, one in five Europeans is threatened by poverty or social exclusion, and more than one worker in ten is poor.

Error detected

The claim that 'more than one worker in ten is poor' is incorrect. The actual in-work at-risk-of-poverty rate in the EU was 8.2% in 2024, which is below the 10% threshold claimed.

Omissions

• The data cited is from 2024, the most recent full year available before the February 2026 session date.
• The 'working poor' claim overstates the actual figure by nearly 2 percentage points.
• Children are indeed particularly affected, with 24.2% at risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2024, which is higher than the general population rate.

Sources

• PrimaryEurostat - People at risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2024In 2024, 93.3 million people in the EU (21.0% of the population) were at risk of poverty or social exclusion.
• PrimaryEurostat - 8.2% of EU workers are at risk of povertyIn 2024, 8.2% of people aged 18 or over who declared to be at work (employed or self-employed) in the EU were at risk of poverty.
• PrimaryEurostat - 24% of EU children at poverty risk or social exclusionIn 2024, 19.5 million children in the EU were at risk of poverty or social exclusion, representing 24.2% of children under the age of 18.