In 2023, nearly 95 million EU residents faced poverty risk; Southern Italy and Eastern Europe were most affected by rising costs.
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In 2023, approximately 94.6 million people across EU countries were at risk of poverty or social exclusion, representing 21.4% of the total population. The highest concentrations were found in Southern Italy, rural Romania, and French ultra-peripheral regions, with Calabria and Campania in Italy showing particularly high rates. Overall, 19 regions had at least 35% of their population at risk, with Bulgaria, southeastern Greece, southern Spain, French ultra-periphery, southern Italy, and eastern and southern Romania being major areas of concentration. In Italy, after Calabria (48.6%), Campania followed at 44.4%, and Sicily at 41.4%. The report also noted a significant increase in the cost of living across much of the EU since late 2021, with energy and food prices rising sharply, disproportionately affecting poorer individuals, as the annual inflation rate rose from 0.7% in 2020 to 9.2% by 2022 before falling to 6.4% in 2023.
