Walking, seeing, or simply looking after oneself is harder for people at risk of poverty in the EU, new Eurostat data show. They also struggle more to pay for medical care. As a result, those with fewer financial resources face both health problems and heavier pressure on their budgets.

Almost one in four people at risk of poverty reported moderate or severe walking difficulties in 2025, compared with around one in six outside that group. The figures, published by Eurostat on 28 October, show differences across all six activities examined, from communicating to caring for oneself.

Everyday difficulties on lower incomes

Walking showed the largest gap. Difficulties affected 24.9 per cent of people at risk of poverty, compared with 16.9 per cent of those not at risk. Problems with remembering or concentrating affected 20.6 per cent, against 14.5 per cent.

Difficulties with self-care were almost twice as common, affecting 10.1 per cent of people at risk of poverty, compared with 5.8 per cent outside that group. Seeing difficulties affected 23.8 per cent and 18.9 per cent, respectively.

Eurostat defines people at risk of poverty as those whose household income, adjusted for household size, falls below 60 per cent of their country’s median after social transfers. This measures relative income, rather than wealth. The findings show an association between lower incomes and health difficulties; they do not establish what caused those differences.

Added pressure of medical bills

The underlying Eurostat analysis also examines what medical care costs people. In 2025, 19.1 per cent of people at risk of poverty described medical care as a heavy financial burden. The figure was 12.5 per cent for those outside that group. Between countries, however, the differences were even larger. For people at risk of poverty, the share reached 47.6 per cent in Italy but only 5.6 per cent in Slovenia. Still, these are people’s assessments of financial strain, rather than a comparison of medical prices.

A separate comparison by income reinforces the divide. Among the lowest-earning fifth, 18.7 per cent reported a heavy burden, compared with 8.5 per cent among the highest-earning fifth. “People in the lowest income group have greater difficulties affording medical care,” Eurostat concludes. Its survey covers private households, generally excluding people living in institutions.

No one should have to choose between paying for life-saving medicines and meeting basic needs like food and housing. — Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe

The consequences can extend beyond treatment. In a December 2024 assessment, the World Health Organization warned about direct payments for medicines, medical products, and dental care. Such payments could leave households struggling to meet other essential costs. Hans Kluge, its European regional director, summed up the stakes. “No one should have to choose between paying for life-saving medicines and meeting basic needs like food and housing.”