The share of people at risk of poverty who had parents with a low level of education was more than 20% in 10 EU Member states: Estonia, Greece, Luxembourg, Spain, Italy, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Bulgaria and Romania, with the highest rate recorded in Romania (37.4%).

4 comments

  1. Data indicate that descendants of low-educated parents are more likely to live in poverty when they reach adulthood.

    In 2019, the at-risk-of-poverty rate in the EU was more than twice as high for adults (aged 25 to 59) whose parents had a low level of education (20.3%) than it was for people whose parents had achieved a high level of education (8.6%).

    The corresponding rate was 12.0% for people whose parents had a medium level of education.

    The share of people at risk of poverty who had parents with a low level of education was more than 20% in 10 EU Member states (Estonia, Greece, Luxembourg, Spain, Italy, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Bulgaria and Romania), with the highest rate recorded in Romania (37.4%).

    In contrast, the lowest rates were observed in Czechia (9.3%) and Denmark (9.4%) as well as the Netherlands and Finland (both 10.3%).

    The greatest at-risk-of-poverty rate among people who had highly educated parents was in Austria (14.8%) and Sweden (12.7%), whereas the lowest rates were recorded in Czechia (2.3%) and Romania (3.2%).

  3. Interesting that in rich countries (Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Austria) people with well educated parents are more likely to be at risk of poverty than people with parents with medium education.

  4. In Ireland if you’re parents are not rich and don’t own multiple properties there is a very strong likelihood that you’re going to be substantially poorer than your parents and you will have to work substantially later into life. Property prices are currently up to 100+ times higher than they were prior to the Celtic Tiger and mortgages are currently borderline impossible to acquire. We also pay double or triple the rent and earn at least half of what wages used to be.

    Im in a two income household, both highly educated, one has a profession and we cannot get a mortgage and likely will never be able to get one until we reach out mid 30’s and even then we will have to make considerable compromises on location and quality of the housing. The generational wealth gap is massive in Ireland and it is not getting enough attention. Most of my colleagues no longer both to save because even with incremental wage increases they’re unlikely to ever save enough to afford a house. In the off chance they do save enough they’re unlikely to actually find housing to purchase as there is a chronic shortage. Most young Irish people leave the country and wait for a parent to die before coming back.

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