EU affordability gaps persist across leisure, food and internet access
Household affordability pressures across the EU continue to extend beyond housing and energy into everyday social participation, nutrition and digital access. New 2025 figures show wide disparities between member states, with some countries reporting notably higher shares of people unable to pay for basic items and activities.
Highlights
- Eurostat reports 12.1% of EU citizens in 2025 cannot regularly afford leisure activities, with the share ranging from 3.9% in Croatia to 27.3% in Greece.
- Food affordability remains challenged, as 8.5% of EU residents cannot afford a quality meal every second day, peaking at 18.1% in Romania and low at 1.2% in Cyprus.
- Internet access deprivation stands at 2.0% across the EU in 2025, with Romania highest at 6.2% and Finland lowest at 0.1%, revealing persistent digital divides.
Eurostat data highlights 2025 affordability divide
As reported by Eurostat, 12.1% of people in the EU in 2025 cannot afford to participate regularly in a leisure activity. The share ranges from 3.9% in Croatia to 27.3% in Greece, underscoring a wide gap in consumers' ability to pay for non-essential but socially important activities.Food affordability also remains under strain. Across the EU, 8.5% of people cannot afford a meal with meat, chicken, fish, or a vegetarian equivalent every second day, with national shares ranging from 1.2% in Cyprus to 18.1% in Romania.
Internet access shows a lower overall deprivation rate, but disparities remain visible. In 2025, 2.0% of people in the EU cannot afford an internet connection for personal use at home, ranging from 0.1% in Finland to 6.2% in Romania.
Consumer and social pressures vary by country
The figures point to uneven household purchasing power across the bloc, with Greece, Romania and, in specific categories, other member states facing greater affordability constraints than lower-rate countries such as Croatia, Cyprus and Finland.The data also suggests that affordability pressure is not limited to discretionary spending. Limits on access to meals and home internet indicate broader strains that can affect living standards, social inclusion and participation in the digital economy across different parts of the EU.
In our earlier article on Groundwork Collaborative’s campaign against so-called “surveillance pricing,” we looked at claims that large retailers may be using customer data and pricing tactics that intensify pressure on household budgets. The piece outlined how the group is pushing for closer scrutiny of companies’ pricing behavior and arguing that it can translate into higher everyday costs for consumers.
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