Eurostat: 24% of children in Cyprus faced material deprivation

In 2021, 24% of children under 16 in Cyprus (13% in the EU) living in EU households experienced child-specific material deprivation, with this percentage being particularly increased when it came to lower-education households (61% in Cyprus, 39% in the EU), according to data released by Eurostat, the statistical service of the EU.

The level of child specific material deprivation can be attributed to various factors, with two key factors being household composition and the parents’ educational level, which is often linked to their labour market situation.

The child-specific deprivation rate is the percentage of children below 16 who suffer from the enforced lack of at least three items considered necessary for the child or the household (the list includes needs such as clothing, shoes, healthy food or leisure for children, as well as heating or a car in the household).

In 2021, 39% of EU children living in lower-education households (at most lower secondary education - ISCED levels 0-2) experienced material deprivation (61% in Cyprus), compared with 4% for children in higher-education households (tertiary education - ISCED levels 5-8) and 10% in Cyprus.

In 10 EU countries, over half of the children in lower-education households faced material deprivation, with the highest shares recorded in Romania (85%), Bulgaria (83%) and Hungary (78%). Meanwhile, the lowest rates were registered in Poland (9%), Germany and Estonia (each 16%).

Among households where parents had tertiary education, the highest rates of child material deprivation were recorded in Greece (16%), Bulgaria (12%) and Cyprus (10%). The lowest rates of child material deprivation were recorded in Slovenia (near 0%), Czechia, Sweden, and Poland (all 1%).