One in four young children in EU at risk of poverty, report finds

One in four children under six in the European Union are at risk of poverty and social exclusion, affecting 5.6 million children, according to a new EU report that highlights significant disparities in early childhood education access across the bloc.

The Eurydice Network report reveals that poor nutrition, limited healthcare access, and reduced educational opportunities could have lasting impacts on children’s development and well-being.

Only seven European countries – Denmark, Germany, Estonia, Slovenia, Finland, Sweden, and Norway – guarantee early childhood education places immediately after parental leave, the report found.

A third of European countries only guarantee places in the final years before primary school.

“The funding landscape shows stark contrasts”, said the report. Sweden and Iceland lead investment, spending over 1.6% of GDP on early childhood education, while Ireland, Greece, and Turkey allocate less than 0.3%.

Denmark and the Netherlands show the highest participation rates, with over 70% of children under three enrolled in early education programmes.

However, countries including Greece (68.8%), Romania (74.8%), and Bulgaria (80.4%) fall significantly below the EU average.

The report also highlights staffing challenges, with more than two-thirds of European countries struggling to recruit and retain qualified personnel.

“This threatens to undermine the fundamental right to quality education and care”, the network warned.

Many European countries are incorporating sustainability education and digital skills into early childhood curricula, though approaches vary.

Some countries, including Denmark and Sweden, are implementing stricter limits on digital tools in early education.