The number of people with low income in the European Union is increasing.

Omissions

• The MEP did not specify a time period for the claimed increase. The most recent Eurostat data (2024 to 2025) shows that the number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion in the EU decreased, not increased.
• The claim conflates 'low income' (at-risk-of-poverty, below 60% of median income) with the broader AROPE indicator (which also includes severe material deprivation and low work intensity). The at-risk-of-poverty rate specifically was 16.2% in 2024; 2025 data for this narrower indicator was not found in available search results.
• The Eurostat news release for the 2025 data (published 2026-04-30) was published after the session date of 2026-06-18, meaning the MEP could have known this data, but it is unclear whether they relied on it. The 2024 data was published in April 2025 and would have been available.
• Longer-term trends (e.g., 2019–2024) may show increases in poverty indicators, partly driven by COVID-19, inflation, and energy price shocks, but the most recent data point does not support the claim of an ongoing increase.

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 — 20.9% of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion (2025)In 2025, 92.7 million people in the EU (20.9% of the population) were at risk of poverty or social exclusion.
• PrimaryEurostat — Living conditions in Europe - poverty and social exclusionIn 2024, 72.1 million people in the EU were at risk of poverty (after social transfers), representing 16.2% of the population. In 2025, there were around 92.7 million people in the EU at risk of poverty or social exclusion, equivalent to 20.9%.