Being in a precarious, even extremely precarious, situation is not only reserved for the youngest among us. Some retirees also find themselves in a very complicated financial situation. According to the European Commission, poverty affected nearly 15% of retirees in Europe in 2020. This percentage obviously takes into account the cost of living, which varies depending on the country. Are considered as poor retirees all those whose income, including aid, does not exceed the poverty risk threshold, estimated at 60% of the national median disposable income.
In the current context, these individuals are particularly at risk, and the number of retirees in precarious situations is likely to increase. Indeed, the Covid crisis had already weakened the purchasing power of many of them. Added to this is the frantic race of the inflation rate which does not seem to be drying up, and the fact that the dynamic of the precariousness of French pensioners has already been launched for several years. Indeed, the revaluation of retirement pensions which takes place each year has been lower than inflation for 10 years, according to Capital.
It is not so much the amount of income or pensions that should alert the most, but rather the leftovers that are melting like snow in the sun. The health factor is all the more important here for retirees. Given their age, they are much more at risk of being faced with more or less unexpected expenses. According to an Ipsos-Secours populaire poll, 14% of Greeks, Poles, English, French, Italians and Germans questioned have given up seeking treatment for financial reasons in the last 6 months, as reported by l’Humanité.
But in some European countries, the proportion of poor pensioners is much lower compared to the rest of Europe. Find below the ranking of EU countries in which retirees are doing the best financially, according to Pleine Vie.
