Eurostat: 5.6% of those at risk of poverty in Cyprus cannot afford proper meals

Out of the population of individuals that were at risk of poverty in Cyprus in 2022, 5.6 per cent were unable to afford a meal containing meat, fish or a vegetarian equivalent every second day, which was an increase compared to last year, according to data released by Eurostat.

This percentage in Cyprus increased from 2.4 per cent in 2021 to 5.6 per cent in 2022.

This increase was also observed on the EU level, with the percentage reaching 19.7 per cent, 2.2 percentage points (pp) higher than in 2021 (17.5 per cent).

Compared to the total of the EU population (that is beyond those people that were at risk of poverty), 8.3 per cent of the EU population were unable to afford a proper meal, which is one pp higher compared with 2021 (7.3 per cent).

In Cyprus, the percentage of people who could not afford a proper meal out of the country’s total population in 2022 was at 1.5 per cent, having increased compared to 2021 (0.4 per cent).

Among member states, the highest share of people at risk of poverty unable to afford a proper meal was recorded in Bulgaria (44.6 per cent), followed by Romania (43 per cent) and Slovakia (40.5 per cent).

On the other hand, the lowest share was recorded in Ireland (five per cent), followed by Luxembourg (5.1 per cent) and Cyprus (5.6 per cent).

The capacity to afford a meal with meat, chicken, fish or vegetarian equivalent every second day is among the items observed at household level to calculate the severe material and social deprivation rate.