More than a third (33.8%) of Romanian children continued to live at risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2024, above the European Union average of 24.2%, according to a Save the Children report launched on Tuesday during a debate organised by the NGO and Vice-President of the European Parliament Victor Negrescu at the forum in Brussels.

The report, citing Eurostat data, shows that structural vulnerabilities generate higher inequality - children in rural areas face a much higher risk of poverty or social exclusion in Romania, at 41.7%, while the situation for children whose parents have a low level of education is 'dramatic': 75.8% of them are at risk of poverty or social exclusion, compared with 5.9% of children whose parents have a university education.

Across the European Union, almost one in four children - a total of 19.5 million - continue to be exposed to the risk of poverty or social exclusion, the Save the Children report shows.

Romania ranks third in the EU for the highest rate of child poverty, after Bulgaria (35.1%) and Spain (34.6%). The lowest risk of poverty and social exclusion is recorded for children in Slovenia (11.8%), Cyprus (14.8%) and the Czech Republic (15.4%), according to Eurostat data for 2024.

For 1.255 million children in Romania, securing the resources necessary for a healthy life is problematic. They remain far more affected by poverty than adults, with the risk of poverty or social exclusion among children seven percentage points higher than among adults.

A study conducted by Save the Children Romania this summer shows that almost three in five (58%) families whose children participate in the organisation's educational programmes cannot cover the costs associated with their children's education without external support, with the percentage rising to 87% among those in subjective poverty and those with a low level of education - 70%. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Iulia Carciog; EN - writing by: Simona Iacob)