A new analysis highlights a growing disparity in poverty risk between households with and without dependent children across the European Union.

In 2025, 22.1% of people living in households with dependent children in the European Union were at risk of poverty or social exclusion (AROPE). This compares with 19.8% among those living in households without dependent children, underscoring a higher vulnerability among families raising children.

The situation varies significantly across member states. The highest AROPE rates for people in households with dependent children were recorded in Spain (29.9%), followed closely by Romania (29.4%) and Bulgaria (29.1%). These figures point to persistent socio-economic pressures affecting families in parts of southern and eastern Europe.

At the other end of the scale, considerably lower rates were observed in Slovenia (10.4%), the Netherlands (11.7%), and Cyprus (12.2%), where fewer households with children face poverty risks.

Overall, in 16 out of the 27 EU member states, people living in households with dependent children were more likely to be at risk of poverty or social exclusion than those without children, suggesting that family composition remains a key factor shaping economic vulnerability across Europe. Photo by Evstafiev, Wikimedia commons.