Given the current prices, these are indeed shocking amounts.
The Polish branch of the European Network for the Fight Against Poverty has published a report indicating that 2 million people in Poland live in extreme poverty, while more than 5 million are in a state of material deprivation.
Marcin Maewski from the charitable Catholic organization Caritas Polska noted that one of the main issues is the non-indexable poverty threshold. "There are many people who live in poverty but earn too much to qualify for social assistance," the expert explained.
"Looking at the data from the Central Statistical Office of Poland, extreme poverty in monetary terms amounts to 913 zlotys (215 euros). For a family of four with two children under 14, this is less than 2,500 zlotys (590 euros), which means just over 600 zlotys (140 euros) per person. Given the current prices, these are indeed shocking amounts," Maewski added.
In 2024, 6.8% of Poles with an average income not exceeding 60% of the equivalent could not afford a meal that includes meat or fish. For the population as a whole, this figure was 2.8%.
In Poland, in the reporting year, the poverty issue affected 16.9% of children, which is much lower than the EU average. However, in absolute numbers, the picture is less rosy, as it concerns 1 million 136 thousand children.
The percentage of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2024 varied across different EU countries. The highest rates were recorded in Bulgaria, where 30.3% of people faced poverty. Romania (27.9%), Greece (26.9%), Spain, and Lithuania (both at 25.8%) followed closely behind.
