Child Poverty Rising in Europe, EU’s 2030 Goal at Risk
More than 240 children across Europe are being pushed into or closer to poverty each day, according to a new report, jeopardizing the European Union’s commitment to significantly reduce child poverty by 2030.
The report, released yesterday by Save the Children, reveals that 446,000 additional children in Europe were at risk of poverty or social exclusion between 2019 and 2024, bringing the total to 19.5 million – roughly one in four children across the EU. This represents a reversal of progress, as the EU pledged in 2019 to lift at least 5 million children out of poverty by the end of the decade. The increase in child poverty has significant implications for the future workforce and economic stability of the region.
Save the Children argues that child poverty is a direct result of policy choices and underinvestment, functioning as an “invisible tax” on economic growth. Lifelong earnings are, on average, 20% lower for individuals who experience poverty during their childhood, effectively meaning they lose out on years of potential income. “The fact that the number of children at risk of poverty is now higher than when the EU made a pledge to lift children out of poverty is outrageous and perfectly illustrates why the EU must step up and act,” said Willy Bergogné, Save the Children Europe’s Director and EU Representative. “In one of the world’s richest regions there is simply no excuse not to invest in its children.”
While some EU Member States, like Ireland, have seen reductions in child poverty rates, others – including Spain and Finland – are experiencing alarming increases. Save the Children is urging the EU to fully implement and fund initiatives like the European Child Guarantee and the EU Anti-Poverty Strategy, alongside providing universal child benefits and access to essential services such as early childhood education and school meal programs. You can learn more about the challenges of child poverty at UNICEF’s website.
Officials say the EU must prioritize investment in children to break the cycle of poverty and avoid failing to meet its 2030 targets.
