EU Plan Could Lift 18 Million Out of Poverty by 2030

One in five Europeans currently lives in poverty or social exclusion, but scientists have mapped a clear path forward that could change millions of lives by the end of this decade.

The European Union's Joint Research Centre just released evidence showing that 18.5 million people could escape poverty by 2030 through a combination of three achievable reforms. That number exceeds the EU's original target of helping 15 million people.

The winning formula combines raising minimum wages to 60% of each country's median income, expanding employment opportunities to meet national targets, and improving access to minimum income programs. The entire package would cost about 0.25% of the EU's total economic output.

Right now, 93 million Europeans face poverty or social exclusion. Without policy changes, that number would only drop by 7.7 million by 2030 based on current trends. Several countries would actually see their situations worsen.

The research used EUROMOD, a sophisticated computer model that simulates how tax and benefit policies affect people across all 27 EU member states. Scientists tested different scenarios to find what actually works.

Here's the surprise: the biggest barrier isn't money. The research found that extending coverage to eligible households who aren't receiving benefits makes a far bigger difference than simply increasing payment amounts for current recipients.

The Ripple Effect

When researchers tested an accelerated scenario that reaches all eligible households, the results were stunning. Nearly 55 million people could escape poverty or social exclusion across the continent.

The key is making benefits easier to access through automatic enrollment, simplified paperwork, and actively reaching out to those who qualify. These administrative changes deliver better results than any other single intervention.

The progress so far shows the potential is real. Since 2019, the EU has already helped 3.4 million people move out of poverty or social exclusion. The new anti-poverty strategy, supported by this research, provides a roadmap to accelerate those gains.

Even under the most ambitious scenario, challenges remain. About 8% of the EU population would still face poverty or social exclusion, often due to accumulated hardships and limited work opportunities that money alone can't immediately fix.

The research directly supports the European Commission's first-ever comprehensive anti-poverty strategy, adopted alongside these findings. Member states now have evidence-based tools to make meaningful progress on one of Europe's most pressing challenges.

Millions of families across Europe are closer to stability and opportunity than policy makers previously thought possible.