Luxembourg youth at lower risk of material and social deprivation than EU average

In 2021, the severe material and social deprivation rate among young people aged 15 to 29 was 6.1% in the European Union.

Severe material and social deprivation is defined as "the proportion of the population experiencing an enforced lack of at least 7 out of 13 deprivation items, with 6 items related to the individual and 7 related to the household."

In the same period, the severe material and social deprivation rate among the total population encompassing individuals residing in private households aged 0 and up was marginally higher at 6.3%.

In 2021, the highest rate of young people who were severely materially and socially deprived was recorded in Romania at 23.1%. Romania was followed by Bulgaria and Greece, who recorded 18.7% and 14.2% respectively.

Luxembourg was one of 11 EU of 26 member states with available data who's proportion was less than 3%. Also grouped with Luxembourg were Poland, Cyprus, Sweden, Netherlands, Czechia, Croatia, Slovenia, Estonia, Finland and Austria.

© Eurostat

The at-risk-of-poverty rate among young people

The at-risk-of-poverty rate in the European Union in 2021 was higher for young people (aged 15-29) than for the total population.

The at-risk-of-poverty rate is "the share of people with an equivalised disposible income below the at-risk-of-poverty threshold, which is set at 60% of the national median equivalised disposable income after social transfers."

Young people and total population were marked with a difference of 3.3 percentage points with young people recorded at 20.1% compared to the 16.8% of the total population.

Read also: Children's risk of poverty higher in Luxembourg than EU average

This trend was seen in 19 countries within the EU, with the largest gap observed in Denmark, with 12.3% of the total population at risk of poverty compared to 25.6% of young people. Sweden followed closely behind, with 15.7% of the total population at risk of poverty compared to 24.6% of the youth population.

The risk of poverty rate in was marginally higher in Luxembourg than the EU average in 2021, at 20.3% and 20.1% respectively. Luxembourg also saw difference between young people (15-29) and the general population, with 18.1% of the general population classified as being at risk of poverty.

© Eurostat

In eight EU countries, younger people were less at-risk of poverty than the population as a whole. The difference was most notable in Latvia, with 23.4% of the population at risk compared to the 17% of young people. Also in the group were Malta with a difference of 5.6 percentage points, Estonia with 4.9 pp and Croatia with a difference of 4.5 percentage points.