One out of four children, or approximately 19 million children, are at risk of poverty or social exclusion.
Social PolicyEuropean Union
- Omissions
- The MEP did not specify a reference year. The claim aligns with 2024 Eurostat data (the most recent children-specific AROPE data verifiable at the time of the speech). 2025 data for children under 18 AROPE may have been published by May 2026 but could not be independently confirmed within search limits.
- The percentage decreased slightly from 24.8% in 2023 to 24.2% in 2024, a positive trend the MEP did not mention.
- Sources
- PrimaryEurostat News ArticleIn 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, down by 0.6 percentage points from 2023 (24.8%).
- PrimaryEurostat Statistics ExplainedBetween 2023 and 2024, the percentage of children at risk of poverty or social exclusion in the EU slightly decreased from 24.8% to 24.2%. In 2024, 24.2% of children aged less than 18 in the EU were at risk of poverty or social exclusion compared with 20.3% of people aged 18 years and over.
- SecondaryEU ReporterIn 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.