Greece, Italy only EU states undergoing drop in real household income

RunWithRugs · 2026-03-25T23:26:42+00:00

Between 2004 and 2024, Greece and Italy saw declines in real household income per capita, while Romania experienced the highest growth at 134%. Overall, the EU's income increased by 22%, despite stagnation during the global financial crisis.

RunWithRugs

2026-03-25 23:26:42

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(MENAFN) Between 2004 and 2024, Greece and Italy were the only European Union member states to experience a decline in real household income per capita, according to a Eurostat report released Wednesday. Over the 20-year period, Greece saw a 5% decrease, while Italy recorded a 4% drop.

In contrast, Romania posted the largest growth, with real household income per capita rising by 134%, followed by Lithuania at 95%, Poland at 91%, and Malta at 90%. Some of the smallest gains were observed in Spain, which rose 11%, Austria at 14%, Belgium at 15%, and Luxembourg at 17%.

Overall, the EU saw a 22% increase in real household income per capita. Eurostat noted that growth stagnated between 2008 and 2011 due to the global financial crisis and experienced slight declines in 2012, 2013, and 2020.

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