A child walking on the unkept pavement.

In 2024, 13.6% of children under the age of 16 in the EU were materially deprived. Child specific material deprivation is based on the inability to afford at least 3 out of 17 items (goods or services) considered necessary or desirable for people to have an 'acceptable' standard of living.

The highest rates of children who faced material deprivation were registered in Greece (33.6%), Romania (31.8%) and Bulgaria (30.4%). In contrast, the lowest rates were recorded in Croatia (2.7%), Slovenia (3.8%) and Sweden (5.6%).

Child material deprivation, 2024, %. Chart. See link to the full dataset below.

Source dataset: ilc_chmd03

Education of parents strongly impacts child material deprivation 

Parents’ educational level affects the material deprivation rate. Only 5.6% of children whose parents had tertiary education faced material deprivation, compared with 39.1% of children whose parents had at most a lower secondary education.

The highest shares of children of lower-educated parents that faced material deprivation were recorded in Slovakia (88.6%), Bulgaria (84.1%) and Greece (77.2%). By contrast, the lowest rates were registered in Poland (9.1%), Luxembourg (9.2%) and Sweden (12.2%).

Child material deprivation rate by parents' education level, 2024, %. Chart. See link to the full dataset below.

Source dataset: ilc_chmd03

Among households where parents had tertiary education, the highest rates of child material deprivation were recorded in Greece (17.6%), Spain (11.6%) and Bulgaria (8.1%). The lowest rates were recorded in Slovenia (0.6%), Croatia (0.7%) and Czechia (0.8%).

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Methodological notes

  • The child-specific deprivation rate is the percentage of children below 16 who suffer from the enforced lack of at least 3 items out of the following 17 items. Only children lacking an item for affordability reasons (and not by choice or due to any other reasons) are considered deprived of this item. 
  1. Child: Some new clothes 
  2. Child: Two pairs of shoes 
  3. Child: Fresh fruits and vegetables daily 
  4. Child: Meat, chicken, fish daily 
  5. Child: Suitable books 
  6. Child: Outdoor leisure equipment 
  7. Child: Indoor games 
  8. Child: Leisure activities 
  9. Child: Celebrations 
  10. Child: Invite friends 
  11. Child: School trips 
  12. Child: Holiday 
  13. Household: Replace worn-out furniture 
  14. Household: Arrears 
  15. Adults in the household: Internet
  16. Household: Home adequately warm 
  17. Household: Car 
  • The educational level of children’s parents is defined in this article as the highest level of education attained by one of the parents. For example, if the father has a low level of education of at most lower-secondary (international standard classification of education (ISCED) levels 0-2), and the mother has a medium level of education (upper-secondary education) (ISCED levels 3-4), it is considered that the child’s parents have a medium level of education.

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