More than one in 10 people across the European Union could not afford regular leisure activities in 2025, according to Eurostat data released in October 2026. Rates varied sharply across member states, ranging from a low of 3.9% in Croatia to a high of 27.3% in Greece.
Greece Records Highest Leisure Cost Burden in the European Union
Greece posted the highest rate in the bloc for the second year regarding unaffordable leisure as living costs squeeze incomes. More than one in four individuals in the country, or 27.3%, lacked the funds for regular recreation in 2025, more than double the EU average.
The leisure gap in Greece has narrowed only slightly over recent years. In 2022, 29.5% of Greeks could not afford leisure activities, a figure that eased to 26.9% before rising again last year.
Greek Workers Put in Long Hours for Low Disposable Incomes
Employed people in Greece worked an average of 39.6 hours a week in 2025, compared with an EU average of 35.9 hours. Nearly 12% of Greek workers regularly put in long hours in their main job, nearly double the 6.2% EU rate.
Government officials stated that the changes increase flexibility in the job market, while labor unions argued that the policies erode workers’ rights in a nation where wages are already depressed. After adjusting for price differences, the typical person in Greece possessed a disposable income worth approximately 60% of the EU median in 2025, placing the country ahead of only Hungary and Romania.
Housing Costs and Household Strain Limit Greek Spending
Housing expenses consume a substantial share of household earnings in Greece. Last year, 26.4% of people in the country lived in households that spent more than 40% of their disposable income on housing, marking the highest rate in the EU.
Financial strain is reflected in daily survival metrics. In 2025, 35% of people in Greece reported that their household made ends meet with great difficulty,
compared to an EU average of 6.4%.
Behind Greece, Romania recorded the second-highest rate for unaffordable leisure at 23.3%. Meanwhile, rates in Spain and Italy stood at 13.4% and 10.7%, respectively.
Cyprus Stays Below EU Averages Across Living Condition Indicators
Cyprus reported figures well below the EU average across multiple financial hardship indicators according to published statistical updates. The share of people in Cyprus unable to afford regular leisure activities fell to 6.3% in 2025, down from 8.7% in 2024.
Cyprus also recorded the lowest rate in the EU for residents unable to afford a regular meal with meat, chicken, fish, or a vegetarian equivalent every second day, holding steady at 1.2% in 2025. The proportion of people unable to afford home internet access in Cyprus dropped to 0.2% in 2025 from 0.3% the previous year.
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