More than 16 million working people in Europe live in poverty because they do not receive sufficient wages
82% confidence
EconomyEurope
Omissions
Geographic scope: the MEP says 'Europe' but the Eurostat data refers to the EU (27 Member States). Including non-EU European countries (UK, Norway, Switzerland, etc.) would likely increase the absolute number, so this does not weaken the claim.
Terminology: the MEP says 'live in poverty' while the Eurostat indicator measures 'at risk of poverty' (AROP), defined as income below 60% of the national median equivalised disposable income. In EU policy discourse these terms are often used interchangeably, but they are not identical.
Causal attribution: the claim states the cause is 'insufficient wages.' While low pay is a major driver of in-work poverty, Eurostat does not attribute causality — factors such as part-time work, household composition, and tax/benefit systems also contribute.
Time period: the most recent confirmed in-work poverty data available before the session date (2026-05-20) is for the 2024 reference year, published by Eurostat in November 2025. 2025 data for this specific indicator was not found in searches.
Sources
PrimaryEurostat — News articlesIn 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 — Databrowser (sdg_01_41)In-work at-risk-of-poverty rate: share of persons who are employed and have an equivalised disposable income below the risk-of-poverty threshold, set at 60% of the national median. EU-27 value for 2024: 8.2%.