According to Eurostat, in 2022, 8.3% of the EU population could not afford a meal containing meat, fish, or a vegetarian equivalent every two days, which was an increase of one percentage point (pp) compared to 2021 (7.3%).

Moreover, considering people at risk of poverty, the share at the EU level in 2022 was 19.7%, which was 2.2 pp higher than in 2021 (17.5%).

In 2022, the difference between the total population and those at risk of poverty regarding the ability to afford an adequate meal was also evident across EU countries.

The highest share of people at risk of poverty who could not afford an adequate meal was recorded in Bulgaria (44.6%), followed by Romania (43.0%) and Slovakia (40.5%). On the other hand, the lowest share was recorded in Ireland (5.0%), followed by Luxembourg (5.1%) and Cyprus (5.6%).

The ability to afford a meal with meat, chicken, fish, or a vegetarian equivalent every two days is one of the household-level elements observed to calculate the rate of severe material and social deprivation. It is one of the key indicators of the European Pillar of Social Rights.

The ability to afford an adequate meal is also part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). SDG 2, "Zero Hunger," aims to end hunger and ensure access by all people to safe, nutritious, and sufficient food.

You can find more about the EU's progress towards the SDGs with the following resources:

• Sustainable Development in the European Union – Monitoring Report on Progress towards the SDGs in an EU context – 2023 edition, which monitors progress towards the SDGs in the EU context.
• Visualization tool - SDGs & me - helps you explore trends in specific indicators and compare your country with others.
• Visualization tool - SDG Country Profile - compares your country and the EU average for each SDG.