Prague – A recent analysis by XTB, referencing Eurostat data, reveals that the Czech Republic has the 12th lowest percentage of individuals who self-identify as poor among the 27 countries in the European Union. In 2024, 17.4 percent of EU citizens viewed themselves as poor, a decrease from 19.1 percent the previous year. The Czech Republic recorded the lowest risk of poverty rate at 9.5 percent, significantly below the EU average of 16.2 percent, with only 14.2 percent of Czechs feeling impoverished, trailing behind Greece (66.8 percent), Bulgaria (37.4 percent), and Slovakia (28.7 percent).
XTB analyst Pavel Peterka noted that the Czech Republic exhibits minimal disparities in perceived poverty across age, education, and employment status, indicating that individuals with lower education levels are more likely to perceive themselves as poor. Additionally, the proportion of seniors over 65 who perceive themselves as poor is also low, consistent with EU trends. Peterka emphasized that the Czech Republic remains largely egalitarian, as evidenced by the Gini coefficient, which consistently ranks among the lowest in the EU for income inequality.
He added that altering the methodology to focus on traditionally strong regions of the Czech Republic might yield slightly less favorable results, yet the nation would still not rank among the poorest in Europe or globally. This conclusion may contrast with popular perceptions reported in recent years. (November 26)
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