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Cyprus had the lowest share of people in the European Union unable to afford a proper meal in 2024, according to new figures from Eurostat.
Just 1.2% of the population in Cyprus could not afford a meal with meat, fish or a vegetarian equivalent every other day, compared with 8.5% across the EU. The EU figure was down from 9.5% in 2023.
Among people at risk of poverty, 19.4% in the EU were unable to afford such meals, compared with only 3.5% in Cyprus. The highest rates were reported in Slovakia (39.8%), Bulgaria (37.7%) and Hungary (37.3%).
The ability to afford a proper meal is one of the indicators used to measure severe material and social deprivation, part of the EU’s broader effort to track poverty and social exclusion under the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan.
