Sustained inflation has depleted financial resilience. Image: Karn AS Images/Adobe Stock.

Press release - 14 January 2025 09:00

Three in ten report difficulties making ends meet across the EU as inflation drains financial resilience, new survey finds

30% of respondents to Eurofound’s 2024 Living and working in the EU survey reported difficulties making ends meet, ranging from 17% in Luxembourg to 55% in Greece. This was a marked increase on 2023, when 22% reported difficulties making ends meet. The findings reflect increased challenges for households to deal with sustained inflation, despite improvements in macro-level economic indicators.

The newly published Quality of life in the EU in 2024 factsheet presents first findings of the Living and working in the EU survey, which was conducted online across Europe in spring 2024. The e-survey captures the situation of European respondents and their post-pandemic concerns, with this factsheet outlining the most recent data on the main challenges faced by Europeans, including a particular emphasis on the rising cost of living, health and mental health, access to healthcare services, work–life balance, and changes in telework opportunities.

In addition to increased difficulties making ends meet, 10% of respondents missed rent or mortgage payments, and 15% reported arrears in utility bills – both figures reflecting increases from the previous year.

Among Member States, the highest proportions of respondents with difficulties making ends meet were found in Greece, Croatia and Estonia. Greece also had the highest proportion of respondents saying that they might need to leave their accommodation in the coming months because they can no longer afford it (22%), followed by Cyprus (19%), and Estonia, Finland and Latvia (16%).

As making ends meet has become more difficult, more respondents in 2024 reported being unable to afford certain items or activities compared to 2023. The most common unaffordable expenses included new furniture, leisure activities, holidays, having a small amount of money to spend on yourself each week and getting together with family or friends at least once a month.

Speaking on the economic findings of the survey, Massimiliano Mascherini, Eurofound Head of Unit for Social Policies, said they give a reliable insight to the situation of households across Europe, ‘These findings reflect the realities behind the macro-economic trends. Sustained inflation has depleted financial resilience, meaning that large swathes of society are now struggling with everyday life. This is having notable social and political consequences.’

The next round of the survey will be carried out in April 2025.

More information: