In 2025, as many as 92.7 million people in the European Union – one in five Europeans – were at risk of poverty or social exclusion. Poland performed surprisingly well, with a rate of 15 percent. By comparison, Bulgaria recorded 29 percent, Greece and Romania 27.5 percent each, Spain 25.7 percent, Italy 22.6 percent, and Germany – despite being the EU’s largest economy – 21.2 percent. Only the Czech Republic (11.5 percent) and the Nordic countries did better. A success? Partly yes – 5.4 million Poles still live at risk of poverty, but compared to Western Europe, we are doing surprisingly well.
Eurostat has published its data for 2025. The definition of “at risk of poverty” includes three categories. First, people living on less than 60 percent of the median disposable income after social transfers. Second, people suffering from severe material or social deprivation – that is, those who cannot afford at least six out of thirteen basic needs (including eating meat every second day, replacing worn‑out clothes with new ones, or having access to the internet). Third, people living in households with very low work intensity, with the category excluding pensioners, pupils and students.
The highest risk of poverty or social exclusion was recorded in the Balkan countries. In Bulgaria the rate was 29 percent, in Greece and Romania – 27.5 percent each. Spain (25.7 percent) and Italy (22.6 percent) also scored very high. To many people’s surprise, Germany – the European Union’s largest economy – was also above the average, with a rate of 21.2 percent.
At the bottom of this unenviable table are the Czech Republic with 11.5 percent and Poland with 15 percent. Behind Poland are Slovenia (15.5 percent), the Netherlands (15.8 percent) and Norway (16.1 percent) – the latter belongs to the European Economic Area through its EFTA membership.
Median income in Poland
Eurostat defines relative poverty as income below 60 percent of the median disposable income. According to the latest Polish Central Statistical Office (GUS) data from November 2025, the median wage in Poland after deducting taxes (ZUS, PIT, NFZ) was about 5,400 zlotys. Sixty percent of that is 3,240 zlotys. This means that a single person living on less than 3,240 zlotys a month was in the relative poverty risk zone in Poland.
By comparison, the threshold in Germany was much higher in nominal terms, but also relative – the German median income is higher than Poland’s. However, a smaller percentage of Poles than Germans fall below their own national poverty line.
Severe material deprivation
The second category – severe material or social deprivation – affected only 2 percent of Poland’s population, according to GUS data. That means only one Pole in fifty could not afford to meet at least six out of thirteen basic needs. For comparison, the rate in Bulgaria was 18 percent and in Romania 16 percent.
The thirteen basic needs include: paying bills on time, heating the home, eating a meal with meat every second day, replacing worn‑out furniture, having a washing machine, a colour TV, a telephone, a car, and the ability to go on a week’s holiday once a year. In Poland, the most commonly missing items were the ability to go on holiday and replacing old furniture.
Very low work intensity
The third indicator – very low work intensity – covers adults who are not working or who work no more than 20 percent of their potential working time. In practice, this means unemployed people or those on marginal contracts who are not pensioners, pupils or students. In Poland, the share of such people was also below the EU average, though Eurostat did not give precise country‑by‑country figures in this release.
In absolute terms, almost 5.4 million Poles were at risk of poverty or social exclusion. That is a large number, but in other countries the figures are even more staggering. In Germany, 17.5 million people were at risk, in France – 13.9 million, in Italy – 13.3 million, and in Spain – 12.5 million. Even after adjusting for differences in population size (Germany has about twice as many inhabitants as Poland, while France and Italy have about one and a half times more), the rates are clearly higher to the disadvantage of those countries.
Success or statistics
The author of the original Polish text, Krzysztof Kolany, writes directly: “Leaving aside the methodology of the study and the construction of the indicator itself, this is a great success for Poles, of which we are probably not yet fully aware.” Other economists point out that Eurostat’s indicator is based on relative income, not absolute income. This means that a country with a lower median income (like Poland) automatically has a lower poverty threshold than a richer country (like Germany). Nevertheless, the fact that only 15 percent of Poles fall below that relative threshold, while in Germany 21 percent do, is noteworthy.
The social context
The high rates in southern Europe (Spain, Italy) and the Balkans (Bulgaria, Romania, Greece) result from three main factors. First, high unemployment or hidden unemployment. Second, weak social support systems (social benefits, family allowances, housing assistance). Third, ageing societies, where older people often live on low pensions. In Poland, the social transfer system – although criticised for certain schemes – has actually raised the incomes of the poorest.
In Germany, the problem lies in the working poor – people employed in low‑hour jobs, often in services, gastronomy or retail. Germany’s minimum wage in 2025 was 13.50 euros per hour, but many people work in part‑time “Minijobs” and do not have access to full social benefits.
For the average Pole, the Eurostat data may come as a surprise. For years we have been accustomed to thinking of Poland as a poorer country than the West. Yet the poverty risk rate in Poland is lower than in Germany, France, Italy or Spain. Fifteen percent versus 21.2 percent in Germany is a difference of 6.2 percentage points. In absolute numbers, this means that relative poverty affects 5.4 million people in Poland and 17.5 million in Germany. The difference in population size does not explain the whole discrepancy.
However, one must remember the limitations of this indicator. Eurostat does not measure absolute poverty (whether someone can buy food, clothing, heat their home), but relative poverty (whether someone has less than 60 percent of the typical income in their country). A rich country will have a higher relative poverty threshold than a poorer country. Thus Germany performs worse than Poland, even though its poorest citizens have in absolute terms more than Poland’s poorest. It all depends on the perspective.
Eurostat has published this indicator annually since 2005, which allows for trend analysis. Poland has shown clear improvement since 2015, when the rate was about 22 percent. The drop to 15 percent in 2025 is therefore significant. In Germany, the rate has remained stable at 19‑21 percent. In Bulgaria and Romania, improvement has been slower – from levels exceeding 40 percent in 2010 to 29 and 27 percent today.
Does the Eurostat data give grounds for pride? Certainly – it shows that Poland is better at redistributing income and supporting the poorest than many richer countries. But it should not make us complacent. 5.4 million Poles still live at risk of poverty. That means every fourteenth inhabitant of our country (because 5.4 million out of a population of 38 million is about 14.2 percent) can barely make ends meet. In that sense, the success is only partial. In any case, Germans, French and Italians have reasons for concern. Their social systems, considered exemplary, do not protect a fifth of their populations. Poland looks good by comparison. And that is without aspiring to be a model. Perhaps that is precisely why.
Fot. Unsplash.
