In Greece, 11.3% of the population cannot afford a proper meal every other day due to financial hardship, placing the country fifth from the bottom in Eurostat’s ranking, behind Bulgaria, Slovakia, Romania, and Hungary.
Based on Eurostat’s processing of data from national statistical agencies for 2024, an average of 8.5% of people in the EU-27 reported being unable to afford a “proper meal” every other day.
The ability of households to purchase a meal with meat, fish, or a vegetarian equivalent every other day is one of the indicators used by statistical agencies to measure the rate of severe material and social deprivation.
According to Eurostat, a “proper meal” is defined as one containing chicken, meat, fish, or vegetables of equivalent nutritional value.
In Greece, the rate rises to 34.6% among low-income households, compared with an EU average of 19.4%.
At the same time, the share of the Greek population at risk of poverty or social exclusion increased in 2024 to 26.9%, up from 26.1% in 2023. The share of people struggling to afford a proper meal is also rising, albeit at a slower pace: 10% in 2022, 10.9% in 2023, and 11.3% in 2024.
The lowest rates in the EU were recorded in Cyprus, Portugal, and Ireland.