In terms of poverty, the Basque Country had a risk rate of 16.2% in 2023. The trend in the risk of poverty in the Basque Country, according to figures from 2015 to 2023: the rate in 2015 was 17.2%, falling to 12.8% in 2018 and rising slightly from 2019 to reach 16.2% in 2023.
With regard to the European regions, according to figures from 2023, the three regions with the highest risk of poverty were Guyana (with a rate of 60.3%), Calabria in Italy (with 48.6%) and Southeast Romania (with 45.3%). The three regions with the lowest risk of poverty were: South Tyrol (in Italy) with a rate of 5.8%, Emilia Romana (also in Italy) with 7.4% and Warsaw (Poland) at 8.9%. The Basque Country, with a rate of risk of poverty of 16.2%, is far from the highest risk. Nevertheless, in comparison with the regions at the lowest risk of poverty, it still has a long way to go.
In comparison with states, the average risk of poverty across the European Union (EU27) is still higher than in the Basque Country, varying between 24% in 2015 and 21.3% in 2023. Spain, which began the year 2023 at 28.7%, falling to 26.5%, remains one of the European countries with the highest risk of poverty. At the other end of the scale are Finland and Norway, at 15.8% in 2023.