People with disabilities find it harder to make ends meet across EU

In 2023, 25.5% of people aged 16 years and over with a disability (having some or severe activity limitations) in the EU lived in households that reported having difficulties in making ends meet; in other words, their financial resources did not cover their usual necessary expenses, according to Eurostat data published October 22.

For comparison, the share was 16.2% among people without a disability (no activity limitations).

In all EU countries, including Latvia, people with a disability were more likely to have difficulties in making ends meet in 2023 than people without a disability. The share of people with a disability living in a household that reported suffering such financial difficulties was less than a sixth in Luxembourg (10.5%), Finland (11.2%), the Netherlands (12.0%), Germany (14.7%; low reliability) and Sweden (16.5%). In contrast, it was above half in Greece (75.2%), and Bulgaria (50.2%).

Latvia was among the countries where living with a disability was more difficult than the EU average. More than a third of those with a disability (36.4%) found it difficult to make ends meet – double the rate of 17.8% among those without a disability. 

To view this resource, we need your consent to the use of cookies.

 

One common consequence of difficult financial circumstances may be the inability to go on holiday. For Eurostat, this is measured as someone being unable to afford a 1 week holiday once a year. In the EU in 2023, people aged 16 years and over with a disability were more likely to find themselves in this position (40.4%) compared with people (of the same age) without a disability (24.2%).

For Latvia 46.6% of people with a disability were in this position compared with 22.6% of those without a disability – again, roughly double the rate.

In 2023, the share of people with a disability who lived in a household unable to afford a 1 week annual holiday was notably higher in eastern EU countries and Greece: 73.5% in Romania, 70.0% in Bulgaria, 64.7% in Hungary, 60.2% in Croatia and 57.6% in Greece; it was also high in all enlargement countries for which data are available. The lowest values among the EU countries were observed in Luxembourg (16.6%) and Finland (18.7%).

 

Seen a mistake?

Select text and press Ctrl+Enter to send a suggested correction to the editor

Select text and press Report a mistake to send a suggested correction to the editor

Related articles

More

Most important