Nearly a Third of Europeans Can't Afford a Week of Vacation
New Eurostat data reveals that in 2025, 30 percent of EU citizens went without a holiday due to financial difficulties, with a union leader warning of a 'serious crisis of quality jobs.'
New Eurostat data reveals that in 2025, 30 percent of EU citizens went without a holiday due to financial difficulties, with a union leader warning of a 'serious crisis of quality jobs.'
As millions of Europeans prepare for a well-deserved summer break, nearly a third of them can't even imagine such a luxury. According to the latest Eurostat data, in 2025, as many as three out of 10 European Union citizens aged 16 or older couldn't afford even a week of vacation away from home.
This worrying share rose by 0.5 percentage points compared to the previous year, indicating a worsening financial situation for a significant portion of the population. However, looking at the broader picture, there has been a decline of 7.7 percentage points over the past decade, suggesting that the situation is somewhat better in the long term.
The differences among member states are stark. The highest share of people who couldn't afford a week of vacation last year was recorded in Romania, Greece, Bulgaria, and Hungary. These same countries, with the exception of Hungary, also lead in the share of young people living in conditions of severe material and social deprivation.
At the opposite end of the spectrum are Luxembourg, Sweden, and the Netherlands, where the number of citizens who can't afford a holiday is the lowest in the entire Union. Rising costs of accommodation, transportation, and food, coupled with a decline in purchasing power, are cited as the main culprits for this situation.
Esther Lynch, General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation, didn't mince words in a statement to the Europe in Motion platform. "A holiday with family or friends is important for our physical and mental health," Lynch said. "After working hard all year, it's the least that working people should have, but every year it increasingly becomes a luxury for the few."
Lynch called the Eurostat data proof that Europe is facing a "serious crisis in terms of quality jobs." She argued that this is a direct consequence of decisions by governments and employers who opt for insecure, low-paid jobs, leaving millions "trapped in jobs without the benefits of collective bargaining, facing precarious working conditions, including extreme heat."
"While politicians enjoy their summer holidays, workers are battling wildfires, working in fields and warehouses in record heat, with no guarantee they'll be paid enough to afford a holiday themselves," Lynch said.
Data on tourism habits further illustrate this divide. Seven out of ten trips by European tourists in 2024 were within their own country. Romania leads with 90 percent of domestic trips, followed by Spain with 88 percent, and France, Portugal, and Greece with 85 percent each.
Conversely, residents of Luxembourg (78 percent), Belgium (62 percent), and Malta (48 percent) are significantly more likely to choose destinations abroad within the EU. When Europeans do decide to travel, trips within the bloc's borders last an average of four nights, while destinations outside the EU get twice as much time, averaging eight nights.
