Greece, Italy only EU countries seeing decline in real household income over 20 years

Greece, Italy fall behind in incomes

Over the last 20 years, Greece and Italy have been the only EU member states where real household income per person has declined, according to new Eurostat data shared by Anadolu Ajansı. In contrast, most other EU countries have experienced steady or even rapid growth in purchasing power over the same period.

Eurostat’s key findings

Eurostat’s report tracks real household income per capita, adjusting for inflation to show how much goods and services households can actually afford. Against this benchmark, Greece and Italy stand out as negative exceptions, with today’s households having less real income than two decades ago.

Romania’s strong income growth

Romania recorded the strongest increase in real household income per capita in the European Union during the 20‑year period covered by the report. This means Romanian households, on average, enjoy far greater purchasing power now than they did two decades earlier.

EU-wide contrasts

While Greece and Italy have seen a deterioration in real incomes, most Central and Eastern European member states have experienced substantial gains. The figures highlight a long‑term convergence trend within the EU, where some newer members are catching up with or even surpassing older members in income growth.

Eurostat report says Romania sees strongest growth in real household income per capita – Anadolu Ajansı.

Summary

Over two decades, Greece and Italy saw real household incomes shrink while countries like Romania sharply increased purchasing power, reshaping the EU’s internal income balance.

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Anadolu Ajansı Anadolu Ajansı — 2025-11-26

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