Today, one in four children in Europe is at risk of exclusion
Social PolicyEuropean Union
- Omissions
- The MEP says 'today' but the most recent available data specifically for children is from 2024 (published in May 2025). The 2025 AROPE data for the total EU population (20.9%) was published in April 2026, but the children-specific breakdown for 2025 was not found.
- The claim refers to 'Europe' but the Eurostat data covers the EU-27, not the broader European continent. Rates may differ in non-EU European countries.
- The exact Eurostat figure is 24.2%, not exactly 25%. While 'one in four' is a reasonable approximation, it slightly overstates the actual rate.
- The AROPE indicator combines three dimensions: monetary poverty, severe material and social deprivation, and low work intensity. The MEP simplified this to 'risk of exclusion'.
- Sources
- PrimaryEurostatIn 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%.