OREANDA-NEWS. In 2015, 8.2% of the population or around 41 million people in the European Union (EU) were severely materially deprived, meaning that they had living conditions constrained by a lack of resources such as not being able to afford to pay their bills, keep their home adequately warm, or take a one week holiday away from home.

In 2015, the proportion of persons severely materially deprived in the EU continued the downward trend observed since its peak in 2012 (9.9%).

Families with dependent children are affected more than households without children. 8.3% of households with two and more adults with children suffer from severe material deprivation, compared with 6.0% for those without dependent children; and severe material deprivation hits 17.3% of single parent families, compared with 11.0% for single adults without dependent children. As it can be seen from the same figures, severe material deprivation also affects single-adult households more than households composed of at least two adults.