Poverty in old age already affects one in five elderly people in the European Union.

Omissions

• The MEP did not specify which metric they were using: 'poverty in old age' could refer to the at-risk-of-poverty rate (AROP) or the broader at-risk-of-poverty or social exclusion rate (AROPE). The normalized metric is AROP, but the closest confirmed figure found (18.8%) is the AROPE rate for the 65+ age group.
• No time period was specified in the claim. The most recent data available at the time of the speech (EU-SILC 2025, based on 2024 income) shows 18.8%, not 20%.
• The MEP did not cite a source for the figure.

Sources

• PrimaryEurostat Statistics Explained — Living conditions in Europe - poverty and social exclusionIn 2025, 92.7 million people in the EU were at risk of poverty or social exclusion (AROPE), equivalent to 20.9% of the total population. For adults aged 65 years or over, the AROPE rate was 18.8%.
• PrimaryEurostat — At-risk-of-poverty rate in the EU remains broadly stable (DDN 2026-05-26)EU-SILC 2025, based on 2024 income, shows that 72.4 million people in the EU, or 16.3% of the population, were at risk of monetary poverty (AROP).