Romania has the highest proportion in the EU of people who cannot afford a week of vacation.
Liviu Brăteanu
EU
Foto: Pixabay
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Romania had in 2025 the highest proportion in the European Union of people who could not afford an annual week-long vacation away from home. The proportion reached 61.4% of the population aged at least 16 years, more than double the European average of 27.5%.
At the level of the entire Union, the indicator slightly deteriorated compared to the previous year, increasing by 0.5 percentage points. However, the situation remains better than it was a decade ago, when the proportion of people who could not afford such a vacation was 7.7 percentage points higher.
In short, in 2025, 27.5% of the EU population aged at least 16 years could not afford an annual week-long vacation away from home. The proportion increased by 0.5 percentage points compared to 2024, indicating a slight worsening in just one year. Compared to 2015, the proportion decreased by 7.7 percentage points, showing that the financial accessibility of vacations improved over the decade. Romania recorded the highest value in the EU, at 61.4%, followed by Greece at 46.6%, and Bulgaria and Hungary, each at 39.1%. The lowest proportions were reported in Luxembourg, at 10.6%, Sweden at 12.4%, and the Netherlands at 12.8%.
The indicator measures the proportion of people aged at least 16 years who declare that their household cannot financially afford an annual week-long vacation spent away from home. It does not show how many people actually went on vacation, but whether they have the necessary resources to bear such an expense.
In 2025, more than one in four people in the EU found themselves in this situation. The proportion of 27.5% was 0.5 percentage points above the level in 2024, when the indicator stood at 27%.
The annual increase does not reverse the long-term trend recorded. In 2015, the proportion was 7.7 percentage points higher, corresponding to a level of 35.2% of the population aged at least 16 years.
The differences between member states remained very large. In Romania, 61.4% of people in the analyzed age group could not afford a week-long vacation away from home. The proportion was 33.9 percentage points above the EU average.
Greece had the second highest value, at 46.6%. This means that almost half of the adult and adolescent population included in the statistics did not have sufficient resources for an annual week-long vacation.
Bulgaria and Hungary recorded the same proportion, at 39.1%. In both countries, nearly four out of ten people aged at least 16 years reported that they could not afford this expense.
At the other end of the ranking, Luxembourg had the lowest proportion in the EU, at 10.6%. Sweden followed with 12.4%, and the Netherlands with 12.8%.
The difference between Romania and Luxembourg was 50.8 percentage points. Thus, the likelihood that a person would declare that they could not afford a week-long vacation varied significantly depending on the member state in which they lived.
The map published by Eurostat shows a concentration of higher proportions in several countries in Eastern and Southeastern Europe. Lower values are more common in the north and west of the Union, although the situation varies from one country to another.
Data for Lithuania are provisional. Eurostat does not indicate detailed values for all member states in the published material, focusing the presentation on the EU average and the countries with the highest and lowest proportions.
An increase of 0.5 percentage points does not mean that the number of affected people increased by 0.5%. Percentage points measure the direct difference between two proportions, in this case between 27% in 2024 and 27.5% in 2025.
The indicator is part of European statistics on income and living conditions. These aim to track households' ability to cover various expenses and provide information about forms of material deprivation that are not captured solely by income levels.
The ability to pay for a week-long vacation is used to assess whether a household can bear an expense that exceeds current necessities. Individuals who do not travel for personal, professional, or medical reasons are not automatically included in this category if they could financially afford a vacation.
The data do not specify the destination, type of accommodation, or estimated cost of the vacation. The indicator refers to the ability to finance an annual week-long vacation away from home, without assuming an international trip or a certain standard of tourist services.
The reduction of 7.7 percentage points compared to 2015 shows that the proportion of people who cannot afford a vacation has significantly decreased over a decade. The increase in 2025 compared to 2024 shows, however, that this trend did not continue in the last year for the Union average.
At the level of the entire Union, the indicator slightly deteriorated compared to the previous year, increasing by 0.5 percentage points. However, the situation remains better than it was a decade ago, when the proportion of people who could not afford such a vacation was 7.7 percentage points higher.
In short, in 2025, 27.5% of the EU population aged at least 16 years could not afford an annual week-long vacation away from home. The proportion increased by 0.5 percentage points compared to 2024, indicating a slight worsening in just one year. Compared to 2015, the proportion decreased by 7.7 percentage points, showing that the financial accessibility of vacations improved over the decade. Romania recorded the highest value in the EU, at 61.4%, followed by Greece at 46.6%, and Bulgaria and Hungary, each at 39.1%. The lowest proportions were reported in Luxembourg, at 10.6%, Sweden at 12.4%, and the Netherlands at 12.8%.
The indicator measures the proportion of people aged at least 16 years who declare that their household cannot financially afford an annual week-long vacation spent away from home. It does not show how many people actually went on vacation, but whether they have the necessary resources to bear such an expense.
In 2025, more than one in four people in the EU found themselves in this situation. The proportion of 27.5% was 0.5 percentage points above the level in 2024, when the indicator stood at 27%.
The annual increase does not reverse the long-term trend recorded. In 2015, the proportion was 7.7 percentage points higher, corresponding to a level of 35.2% of the population aged at least 16 years.
The differences between member states remained very large. In Romania, 61.4% of people in the analyzed age group could not afford a week-long vacation away from home. The proportion was 33.9 percentage points above the EU average.
Greece had the second highest value, at 46.6%. This means that almost half of the adult and adolescent population included in the statistics did not have sufficient resources for an annual week-long vacation.
Bulgaria and Hungary recorded the same proportion, at 39.1%. In both countries, nearly four out of ten people aged at least 16 years reported that they could not afford this expense.
At the other end of the ranking, Luxembourg had the lowest proportion in the EU, at 10.6%. Sweden followed with 12.4%, and the Netherlands with 12.8%.
The difference between Romania and Luxembourg was 50.8 percentage points. Thus, the likelihood that a person would declare that they could not afford a week-long vacation varied significantly depending on the member state in which they lived.
The map published by Eurostat shows a concentration of higher proportions in several countries in Eastern and Southeastern Europe. Lower values are more common in the north and west of the Union, although the situation varies from one country to another.
Data for Lithuania are provisional. Eurostat does not indicate detailed values for all member states in the published material, focusing the presentation on the EU average and the countries with the highest and lowest proportions.
An increase of 0.5 percentage points does not mean that the number of affected people increased by 0.5%. Percentage points measure the direct difference between two proportions, in this case between 27% in 2024 and 27.5% in 2025.
The indicator is part of European statistics on income and living conditions. These aim to track households' ability to cover various expenses and provide information about forms of material deprivation that are not captured solely by income levels.
The ability to pay for a week-long vacation is used to assess whether a household can bear an expense that exceeds current necessities. Individuals who do not travel for personal, professional, or medical reasons are not automatically included in this category if they could financially afford a vacation.
The data do not specify the destination, type of accommodation, or estimated cost of the vacation. The indicator refers to the ability to finance an annual week-long vacation away from home, without assuming an international trip or a certain standard of tourist services.
The reduction of 7.7 percentage points compared to 2015 shows that the proportion of people who cannot afford a vacation has significantly decreased over a decade. The increase in 2025 compared to 2024 shows, however, that this trend did not continue in the last year for the Union average.
Sources
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