Who cannot afford meat, fish or a vegetarian meal in the EU
Topic: Living conditions
In Romania, 18.1% of people live in a household that cannot afford a meal with meat, chicken, fish or a vegetarian equivalent every second day, against 1.2% in Cyprus.
In 2025, 8.5% of people in the EU lived in a household that could not afford a meal with meat, chicken, fish or a vegetarian equivalent every second day. Households say this themselves in a survey. The question is whether they can afford such a meal, whatever they want to eat.
- Figures for:
- 2025.
- Covers:
- the time of the survey.
- New data:
- once a year.
- Dataset updated:
- 20 October 2026.
Published 12 November 2026
The ranking
In 2025, the share of people whose household cannot afford a meal with meat, chicken, fish or a vegetarian equivalent every second day was highest in Romania, at 18.1%, and lowest in Cyprus, at 1.2%.
Share of people whose household cannot afford a meal with meat, chicken, fish or a vegetarian equivalent every second day, %
202505101520%
EU, 8.5%
Rank 1: Romania, 18.1%
Rank 2: Bulgaria, 15.8%
Rank 3: Hungary, 15.1%
Rank 4: Slovakia, 14.2%
Rank 5: Greece, 12.8%
Rank 6: Malta, 11.5%
Rank 7: France, 11.2%
Rank 8: Germany, 11.1%
Rank 9: Italy, 9.3%
Rank 10: Lithuania, 8.9%
Rank 11: Latvia, 7.9%
Rank 12: Estonia, 6.2%
Rank 13: Czechia, 5.7%
Rank 14: Spain, 5.3%
Rank 15: Belgium, 4.8%
Rank 16: Croatia, 4.7%
Rank 17: Luxembourg, 4.5%
Rank 18: Slovenia, 4.4%
Rank 19: Sweden, 3.5%
Rank 20: Austria, 3.3%
Rank 20: Finland, 3.3%
Rank 22: Denmark, 3.1%
Rank 23: Poland, 3.0%
Rank 24: Netherlands, 2.5%
Rank 25: Portugal, 1.9%
Rank 26: Ireland, 1.7%
Rank 27: Cyprus, 1.2%
Over time
Share of people whose household cannot afford a meal with meat, chicken, fish or a vegetarian equivalent every second day in the EU, %
2019–2025Between 2019 and 2025, the share fell in 8 countries and rose in 19.
Share of people whose household cannot afford a meal with meat, chicken, fish or a vegetarian equivalent every second day, %
2019 and 2025 · ranked by 2025201920252025 − 2019Difference
01020pp
Above and below the at-risk-of-poverty threshold
Among people above the at-risk-of-poverty threshold, the gap between the highest and the lowest country was narrower than among the whole population. Romania was again the highest, at 14.1%, and Cyprus again the lowest, at 0.7%. The gap between the highest and the lowest was 13.4 percentage points.
Among people at risk of poverty, the gap between the highest and the lowest country was much wider than among people above the at-risk-of-poverty threshold. Greece was the highest, at 41.9%, and Ireland the lowest, at 3.0%. The gap between Greece and Ireland was 38.9 percentage points.
Share of people whose household cannot afford a meal with meat, chicken, fish or a vegetarian equivalent every second day: above the threshold and at risk of poverty, %
2025Above the thresholdAt risk of povertyAt risk of poverty − above the thresholdDifference
010203040pp
EU, Above the threshold: 6.2%, At risk of poverty: 20.3%, At risk of poverty − above the threshold: +14.1 pp
Rank 1: Greece, Above the threshold: 5.7%, At risk of poverty: 41.9%, At risk of poverty − above the threshold: +36.2 pp
Rank 2: Slovakia, Above the threshold: 11.2%, At risk of poverty: 36.3%, At risk of poverty − above the threshold: +25.1 pp
Rank 3: Romania, Above the threshold: 14.1%, At risk of poverty: 35.8%, At risk of poverty − above the threshold: +21.7 pp
Rank 4: Hungary, Above the threshold: 12.2%, At risk of poverty: 33.2%, At risk of poverty − above the threshold: +21.0 pp
Rank 5: Bulgaria, Above the threshold: 11.2%, At risk of poverty: 33.0%, At risk of poverty − above the threshold: +21.8 pp
Rank 6: France, Above the threshold: 8.0%, At risk of poverty: 27.7%, At risk of poverty − above the threshold: +19.7 pp
Rank 7: Germany, Above the threshold: 8.3%, At risk of poverty: 25.4%, At risk of poverty − above the threshold: +17.1 pp
Rank 8: Czechia, Above the threshold: 4.0%, At risk of poverty: 22.3%, At risk of poverty − above the threshold: +18.3 pp
Rank 9: Lithuania, Above the threshold: 5.0%, At risk of poverty: 22.2%, At risk of poverty − above the threshold: +17.2 pp
Rank 10: Belgium, Above the threshold: 2.9%, At risk of poverty: 20.5%, At risk of poverty − above the threshold: +17.6 pp
Rank 11: Malta, Above the threshold: 9.8%, At risk of poverty: 20.2%, At risk of poverty − above the threshold: +10.4 pp
Rank 12: Latvia, Above the threshold: 4.8%, At risk of poverty: 18.7%, At risk of poverty − above the threshold: +13.9 pp
Rank 13: Italy, Above the threshold: 7.2%, At risk of poverty: 18.4%, At risk of poverty − above the threshold: +11.2 pp
Rank 14: Croatia, Above the threshold: 2.1%, At risk of poverty: 15.3%, At risk of poverty − above the threshold: +13.2 pp
Rank 15: Estonia, Above the threshold: 4.6%, At risk of poverty: 12.8%, At risk of poverty − above the threshold: +8.2 pp
Rank 16: Luxembourg, Above the threshold: 3.2%, At risk of poverty: 12.0%, At risk of poverty − above the threshold: +8.8 pp
Rank 16: Slovenia, Above the threshold: 3.1%, At risk of poverty: 12.0%, At risk of poverty − above the threshold: +8.9 pp
Rank 18: Spain, Above the threshold: 4.1%, At risk of poverty: 10.7%, At risk of poverty − above the threshold: +6.6 pp
Rank 19: Finland, Above the threshold: 2.2%, At risk of poverty: 10.3%, At risk of poverty − above the threshold: +8.1 pp
Rank 20: Denmark, Above the threshold: 2.1%, At risk of poverty: 10.1%, At risk of poverty − above the threshold: +8.0 pp
Rank 21: Sweden, Above the threshold: 2.4%, At risk of poverty: 9.2%, At risk of poverty − above the threshold: +6.8 pp
Rank 22: Netherlands, Above the threshold: 1.6%, At risk of poverty: 8.7%, At risk of poverty − above the threshold: +7.1 pp
Rank 23: Poland, Above the threshold: 2.2%, At risk of poverty: 7.8%, At risk of poverty − above the threshold: +5.6 pp
Rank 24: Austria, Above the threshold: 2.5%, At risk of poverty: 7.3%, At risk of poverty − above the threshold: +4.8 pp
Rank 25: Portugal, Above the threshold: 1.3%, At risk of poverty: 5.5%, At risk of poverty − above the threshold: +4.2 pp
Rank 26: Cyprus, Above the threshold: 0.7%, At risk of poverty: 4.3%, At risk of poverty − above the threshold: +3.6 pp
Rank 27: Ireland, Above the threshold: 1.5%, At risk of poverty: 3.0%, At risk of poverty − above the threshold: +1.5 pp
| Everyone | Above the threshold | At risk of poverty | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest | 1.2%Cyprus | 0.7%Cyprus | 3.0%Ireland |
| Highest | 18.1%Romania | 14.1%Romania | 41.9%Greece |
| Highest − lowest | 16.9 pp | 13.4 pp | 38.9 pp |
Household types
In 2025, 14.5% of people in single-parent households in the EU could not afford a meal with meat, chicken, fish or a vegetarian equivalent every second day, against 6.9% of people in households of two adults without dependent children.
Share of people whose household cannot afford a meal with meat, chicken, fish or a vegetarian equivalent every second day, by household type, %
2025| everyone | alone, under 65 | alone, 65+ | 1 adult, dependent children | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children | 2 adults, no dependent children | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EU, | everyone: 8.5%, | alone, under 65: 13.8%, | alone, 65+: 12.2%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 14.5%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 10.0%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 6.9%, | |
| Rank 1: | Romania, | everyone: 18.1%, | alone, under 65: 23.1%, | alone, 65+: 29.9%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 25.9%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 17.6%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 16.6%, |
| Rank 2: | Bulgaria, | everyone: 15.8%, | alone, under 65: 16.0%, | alone, 65+: 31.2%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 15.0%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 21.9%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 17.3%, |
| Rank 3: | Hungary, | everyone: 15.1%, | alone, under 65: 18.5%, | alone, 65+: 25.9%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 21.6%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 11.9%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 14.6%, |
| Rank 4: | Slovakia, | everyone: 14.2%, | alone, under 65: 11.7%, | alone, 65+: 27.5%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 16.2%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 19.2%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 14.5%, |
| Rank 5: | Greece, | everyone: 12.8%, | alone, under 65: 17.9%, | alone, 65+: 21.1%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 17.5%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 19.1%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 8.5%, |
| Rank 6: | Malta, | everyone: 11.5%, | alone, under 65: 13.9%, | alone, 65+: 14.6%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 19.4%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 18.8%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 12.1%, |
| Rank 7: | France, | everyone: 11.2%, | alone, under 65: 19.0%, | alone, 65+: 13.9%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 22.5%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 14.1%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 7.4%, |
| Rank 8: | Germany, | everyone: 11.1%, | alone, under 65: 16.8%, | alone, 65+: 12.5%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 15.6%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 13.1%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 9.0%, |
| Rank 9: | Italy, | everyone: 9.3%, | alone, under 65: 13.4%, | alone, 65+: 13.2%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 10.6%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 13.0%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 9.0%, |
| Rank 10: | Lithuania, | everyone: 8.9%, | alone, under 65: 13.1%, | alone, 65+: 15.9%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 11.0%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 5.9%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 8.2%, |
| Rank 11: | Latvia, | everyone: 7.9%, | alone, under 65: 13.2%, | alone, 65+: 18.0%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 8.8%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 3.7%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 8.4%, |
| Rank 12: | Estonia, | everyone: 6.2%, | alone, under 65: 8.1%, | alone, 65+: 11.6%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 12.6%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 5.4%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 5.0%, |
| Rank 13: | Czechia, | everyone: 5.7%, | alone, under 65: 6.5%, | alone, 65+: 8.7%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 12.1%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 15.6%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 3.9%, |
| Rank 14: | Spain, | everyone: 5.3%, | alone, under 65: 9.2%, | alone, 65+: 5.3%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 10.7%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 6.2%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 4.3%, |
| Rank 15: | Belgium, | everyone: 4.8%, | alone, under 65: 10.6%, | alone, 65+: 5.5%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 8.7%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 9.2%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 1.5%, |
| Rank 16: | Croatia, | everyone: 4.7%, | alone, under 65: 9.9%, | alone, 65+: 16.3%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 5.9%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 2.7%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 6.9%, |
| Rank 17: | Luxembourg, | everyone: 4.5%, | alone, under 65: 8.3%, | alone, 65+: 4.1%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 10.5%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 5.5%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 2.5%, |
| Rank 18: | Slovenia, | everyone: 4.4%, | alone, under 65: 6.5%, | alone, 65+: 10.2%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 4.6%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 5.0%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 5.4%, |
| Rank 19: | Sweden, | everyone: 3.5%, | alone, under 65: 7.9%, | alone, 65+: 3.3%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 6.1%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 2.0%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 1.7%, |
| Rank 20: | Austria, | everyone: 3.3%, | alone, under 65: 6.1%, | alone, 65+: 6.0%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 6.9%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 3.0%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 2.2%, |
| Rank 20: | Finland, | everyone: 3.3%, | alone, under 65: 9.6%, | alone, 65+: 4.8%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 3.3%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 1.0%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 1.8%, |
| Rank 22: | Denmark, | everyone: 3.1%, | alone, under 65: 8.0%, | alone, 65+: 3.2%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 5.0%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 4.5%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 2.0%, |
| Rank 23: | Poland, | everyone: 3.0%, | alone, under 65: 6.4%, | alone, 65+: 7.2%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 5.2%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 1.8%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 2.7%, |
| Rank 24: | Netherlands, | everyone: 2.5%, | alone, under 65: 6.1%, | alone, 65+: 3.1%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 8.4%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 4.6%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 1.4%, |
| Rank 25: | Portugal, | everyone: 1.9%, | alone, under 65: 4.3%, | alone, 65+: 4.7%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 3.4%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 0.3%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 2.3%, |
| Rank 26: | Ireland, | everyone: 1.7%, | alone, under 65: 5.1%, | alone, 65+: 2.2%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 10.5%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 1.7%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 1.2%, |
| Rank 27: | Cyprus, | everyone: 1.2%, | alone, under 65: 3.0%, | alone, 65+: 0.7%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 0.7%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 0.5%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 1.4%, |
| everyone | alone, under 65 | alone, 65+ | 1 adult, dependent children | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EU, | everyone: 8.5%, | alone, under 65: 13.8%, | alone, 65+: 12.2%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 14.5%, | |
| Rank 1: | Romania, | everyone: 18.1%, | alone, under 65: 23.1%, | alone, 65+: 29.9%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 25.9%, |
| Rank 2: | Bulgaria, | everyone: 15.8%, | alone, under 65: 16.0%, | alone, 65+: 31.2%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 15.0%, |
| Rank 3: | Hungary, | everyone: 15.1%, | alone, under 65: 18.5%, | alone, 65+: 25.9%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 21.6%, |
| Rank 4: | Slovakia, | everyone: 14.2%, | alone, under 65: 11.7%, | alone, 65+: 27.5%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 16.2%, |
| Rank 5: | Greece, | everyone: 12.8%, | alone, under 65: 17.9%, | alone, 65+: 21.1%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 17.5%, |
| Rank 6: | Malta, | everyone: 11.5%, | alone, under 65: 13.9%, | alone, 65+: 14.6%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 19.4%, |
| Rank 7: | France, | everyone: 11.2%, | alone, under 65: 19.0%, | alone, 65+: 13.9%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 22.5%, |
| Rank 8: | Germany, | everyone: 11.1%, | alone, under 65: 16.8%, | alone, 65+: 12.5%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 15.6%, |
| Rank 9: | Italy, | everyone: 9.3%, | alone, under 65: 13.4%, | alone, 65+: 13.2%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 10.6%, |
| Rank 10: | Lithuania, | everyone: 8.9%, | alone, under 65: 13.1%, | alone, 65+: 15.9%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 11.0%, |
| Rank 11: | Latvia, | everyone: 7.9%, | alone, under 65: 13.2%, | alone, 65+: 18.0%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 8.8%, |
| Rank 12: | Estonia, | everyone: 6.2%, | alone, under 65: 8.1%, | alone, 65+: 11.6%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 12.6%, |
| Rank 13: | Czechia, | everyone: 5.7%, | alone, under 65: 6.5%, | alone, 65+: 8.7%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 12.1%, |
| Rank 14: | Spain, | everyone: 5.3%, | alone, under 65: 9.2%, | alone, 65+: 5.3%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 10.7%, |
| Rank 15: | Belgium, | everyone: 4.8%, | alone, under 65: 10.6%, | alone, 65+: 5.5%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 8.7%, |
| Rank 16: | Croatia, | everyone: 4.7%, | alone, under 65: 9.9%, | alone, 65+: 16.3%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 5.9%, |
| Rank 17: | Luxembourg, | everyone: 4.5%, | alone, under 65: 8.3%, | alone, 65+: 4.1%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 10.5%, |
| Rank 18: | Slovenia, | everyone: 4.4%, | alone, under 65: 6.5%, | alone, 65+: 10.2%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 4.6%, |
| Rank 19: | Sweden, | everyone: 3.5%, | alone, under 65: 7.9%, | alone, 65+: 3.3%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 6.1%, |
| Rank 20: | Austria, | everyone: 3.3%, | alone, under 65: 6.1%, | alone, 65+: 6.0%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 6.9%, |
| Rank 20: | Finland, | everyone: 3.3%, | alone, under 65: 9.6%, | alone, 65+: 4.8%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 3.3%, |
| Rank 22: | Denmark, | everyone: 3.1%, | alone, under 65: 8.0%, | alone, 65+: 3.2%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 5.0%, |
| Rank 23: | Poland, | everyone: 3.0%, | alone, under 65: 6.4%, | alone, 65+: 7.2%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 5.2%, |
| Rank 24: | Netherlands, | everyone: 2.5%, | alone, under 65: 6.1%, | alone, 65+: 3.1%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 8.4%, |
| Rank 25: | Portugal, | everyone: 1.9%, | alone, under 65: 4.3%, | alone, 65+: 4.7%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 3.4%, |
| Rank 26: | Ireland, | everyone: 1.7%, | alone, under 65: 5.1%, | alone, 65+: 2.2%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 10.5%, |
| Rank 27: | Cyprus, | everyone: 1.2%, | alone, under 65: 3.0%, | alone, 65+: 0.7%, | 1 adult, dependent children: 0.7%, |
| everyone | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children | 2 adults, no dependent children | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EU, | everyone: 8.5%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 10.0%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 6.9%, | |
| Rank 1: | Romania, | everyone: 18.1%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 17.6%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 16.6%, |
| Rank 2: | Bulgaria, | everyone: 15.8%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 21.9%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 17.3%, |
| Rank 3: | Hungary, | everyone: 15.1%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 11.9%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 14.6%, |
| Rank 4: | Slovakia, | everyone: 14.2%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 19.2%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 14.5%, |
| Rank 5: | Greece, | everyone: 12.8%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 19.1%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 8.5%, |
| Rank 6: | Malta, | everyone: 11.5%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 18.8%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 12.1%, |
| Rank 7: | France, | everyone: 11.2%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 14.1%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 7.4%, |
| Rank 8: | Germany, | everyone: 11.1%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 13.1%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 9.0%, |
| Rank 9: | Italy, | everyone: 9.3%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 13.0%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 9.0%, |
| Rank 10: | Lithuania, | everyone: 8.9%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 5.9%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 8.2%, |
| Rank 11: | Latvia, | everyone: 7.9%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 3.7%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 8.4%, |
| Rank 12: | Estonia, | everyone: 6.2%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 5.4%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 5.0%, |
| Rank 13: | Czechia, | everyone: 5.7%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 15.6%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 3.9%, |
| Rank 14: | Spain, | everyone: 5.3%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 6.2%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 4.3%, |
| Rank 15: | Belgium, | everyone: 4.8%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 9.2%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 1.5%, |
| Rank 16: | Croatia, | everyone: 4.7%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 2.7%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 6.9%, |
| Rank 17: | Luxembourg, | everyone: 4.5%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 5.5%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 2.5%, |
| Rank 18: | Slovenia, | everyone: 4.4%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 5.0%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 5.4%, |
| Rank 19: | Sweden, | everyone: 3.5%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 2.0%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 1.7%, |
| Rank 20: | Austria, | everyone: 3.3%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 3.0%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 2.2%, |
| Rank 20: | Finland, | everyone: 3.3%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 1.0%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 1.8%, |
| Rank 22: | Denmark, | everyone: 3.1%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 4.5%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 2.0%, |
| Rank 23: | Poland, | everyone: 3.0%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 1.8%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 2.7%, |
| Rank 24: | Netherlands, | everyone: 2.5%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 4.6%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 1.4%, |
| Rank 25: | Portugal, | everyone: 1.9%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 0.3%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 2.3%, |
| Rank 26: | Ireland, | everyone: 1.7%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 1.7%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 1.2%, |
| Rank 27: | Cyprus, | everyone: 1.2%, | 2 adults, 3+ dependent children: 0.5%, | 2 adults, no dependent children: 1.4%, |
About the data
The share of people living in private households who say that their household cannot afford a meal with meat, chicken, fish or a vegetarian equivalent every second day, whether or not the household wants such a meal.
Eurostat: “The inability to afford a meal with meat, chicken, fish (or vegetarian equivalent) every second day refers to the percentage of persons in the total population who are in the state of enforced inability to afford a meal with meat, chicken, fish (or vegetarian equivalent) every second day.” (source)
EU statistics on income and living conditions (EU-SILC), a yearly sample survey of households run by the national statistical institutes. The answer is the household's own assessment, and every member of the household is counted with it.
How to read these numbers
How it is measured
The survey covers people living in private households. People in collective households and institutions are generally not included.
The figure is what households say about themselves, whether they can afford such a meal every second day. It is about affordability only, whatever the household wants to eat. A household that can afford such meals but chooses not to eat them is not counted. The figure does not measure what people actually eat.
France's figures cover the European part of the country and, since 2022, four overseas departments (Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana and Réunion). Mayotte is not included. Portugal's figures include the Azores and Madeira. Cyprus's figures cover only the areas controlled by the government of the Republic of Cyprus.
Dependent children are people aged 0 to 17, and those aged 18 to 24 if they are economically inactive, who live with at least one parent.
Revisions
In October 2025, Hungary's EU-SILC data for 2019 to 2024 were revised with population figures from the 2022 census. A revised imputation method was also applied to the income data for 2019 to 2022.
Belgium recalculated its EU-SILC weights for 2019 to 2024, after an overestimate of the number of children aged 0 to 15.
Breaks in the series
Eurostat's metadata say that from 2020, and in particular from 2021, the series of many countries were partly or fully affected by breaks. This concerns the series of Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Ireland, France, Croatia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Finland and Sweden.
A break in the series (flag b) means that a value is not fully comparable with the periods before it. This concerns France (2020, 2022), Germany (2020), Ireland (2020), Luxembourg (2020–2022, 2025) and Portugal (2021).
Provisional figures
A provisional value (flag p) may still be revised. This concerns Lithuania (2025).
Sources and data
Eurostat, Inability to afford a meal with meat, chicken, fish (or vegetarian equivalent) every second day (ilc_mdes03). Data updated 20 October 2026, retrieved 12 November 2026. Licence: CC BY 4.0.
Eurostat metadata · Eurostat methodology
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/api/dissemination/statistics/1.0/data/ilc_mdes03?format=JSON&lang=en&freq=A&geo=AT&geo=BE&geo=BG&geo=CY&geo=CZ&geo=DE&geo=DK&geo=EE&geo=EL&geo=ES&geo=EU27_2020&geo=FI&geo=FR&geo=HR&geo=HU&geo=IE&geo=IT&geo=LT&geo=LU&geo=LV&geo=MT&geo=NL&geo=PL&geo=PT&geo=RO&geo=SE&geo=SI&geo=SK&hhcomp=TOTAL&rskpovth=TOTAL&unit=PCReport an error: contact [at] civitascope.eu
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