Approximately one quarter of Europeans struggle to afford a week-long holiday, Eurostat reveals
In a recent report by Eurostat, significant economic disparities have been highlighted in holiday affordability across European Union (EU) member states. After Romania, Greece, and Bulgaria, Portugal and Hungary have also faced challenges, with 39.3% and 35.2% of their residents unable to afford a week-long holiday, respectively. Greece followed closely with 46.0% of its residents in the same predicament.
These numbers underscore the persistent economic inequalities within the EU, with countries like Romania (58.6%) and Bulgaria (41.4%) having a much higher proportion of residents unable to finance a week's holiday compared to the EU average of 27%.
The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) has emphasised that the inability to afford a holiday is not a luxury for the few, but a basic expectation for workers after a year of hard work. They attribute this trend to an increasingly unequal economy, which pushes workers to avoid vacations due to rising costs for accommodation, transport, and food, combined with declining purchasing power and speculation.
Esther Lynch, General Secretary of the ETUC, stated that the high numbers of people unable to afford a holiday are "sadly no surprise" given the rapid increase in dividends and CEO salaries compared to average workers' pay.
In contrast, countries like Luxembourg and Sweden have fared better, with only 7.9% and 8.7% of the population, respectively, facing constraints in affording a week-long vacation. The findings highlight a significant gap in Western Europe with regard to meeting the standards for financial well-being.
The economic conditions in various EU member states significantly influence the opportunities for leisure, such as taking a week-long holiday. For instance, more developed EU countries like Germany or the Netherlands generally have lower proportions of people unable to afford holidays due to higher GDP per capita and better social safety nets.
The report also highlights a notable disparity between countries that attract many tourists and the local population’s ability to participate in leisure tourism, underscoring economic divides within these destinations. In popular tourist spots like Greece, Portugal, Italy, and Spain, local residents often cannot afford holidays at home or abroad due to the relatively high cost of travel and accommodation combined with limited incomes.
The trend shows some improvement compared to 2014, where 37.6% of EU residents could not afford a holiday, down to 27% in 2024, indicating gradual economic progress in some regions but persistent challenges in others. This is a decrease from 28.5% in 2023 and a drop of 10.6 percentage points compared to 2014.
In conclusion, the disparities in holiday affordability across EU member states reflect the broader economic heterogeneity within the Union, where income and economic conditions vary significantly among member states, directly impacting holiday affordability.
- The report by Eurostat has revealed that the affordability of holidays for personal-finance is a significant issue in many European Union (EU) member states, with tourism being impacted.
- The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) argues that the inability to afford a holiday is not a luxury, but a basic expectation for workers, highlighting business sectors like accommodation, transport, and food as key factors.
- The economic conditions within EU member states have a substantial influence on the opportunities for leisure activities, such as tourism and vacations, with more developed countries generally providing better accommodation and tour options due to higher GDP per capita and better social safety nets.
- Conversely, in countries like Greece, Portugal, Italy, and Spain, which are popular tourist destinations, residents often face challenges in affording holidays due to high costs of travel and accommodation, limited incomes, and unequal economic conditions.
- The findings suggest that there is a notable gap in financial well-being between EU member states, with some countries, such as Luxembourg and Sweden, having a lower proportion of residents unable to afford a week-long luxury vacation compared to others like Romania and Bulgaria.
