Recent data from Eurostat reveals a strong link between the risk of poverty in adulthood and the financial situation of the household in which individuals were raised. The study found that adults who grew up in financially disadvantaged households are almost twice as likely to be at risk of poverty today, compared to those from more secure financial backgrounds. This trend has been observed across the European Union, including Cyprus, where the disparity is even more pronounced.

In 2023, 20.0% of adults aged 25 to 59 in the EU who reported poor financial circumstances in their household at the age of 14 were at risk of poverty, compared to only 12.4% of those from households with a more stable financial situation.

In Cyprus, 20.6% of adults who grew up in struggling households are currently at risk of poverty, while only 9.7% of those from financially stable backgrounds face the same risk.

Eurostat’s data suggests that the financial conditions experienced during adolescence may have a significant impact on one's standard of living in adulthood.

At the national level, Bulgaria showed the largest gap: 48.1% of adults from financially disadvantaged households were at risk of poverty, compared to just 14.4% from more stable households. Romania and Italy followed similar trends.

Interestingly, Denmark was the only country where adults from disadvantaged backgrounds did not face a significantly higher risk of poverty in later life. In Denmark, 8.5% of those from poor households were at risk, compared to 8.9% from wealthier households.

The gap was also minimal in Slovenia and Finland, showing that in certain countries, the financial background may have less of an impact on future poverty risk.