Greece, Italy only EU countries seeing decline in real household income over 20 years

By Ahmet Gencturk

ATHENS (AA) – Greece and Italy were the only EU member states that saw a drop in real household income per capita between 2004 and 2024, according to a Eurostat report released Wednesday.

Eurostat said Greece saw 5% decrease over the two decades, while Italy recorded a 4% decline.

Romania registered the strongest growth in real household income per capita during the same period at 134%, followed by Lithuania at 95%, Poland at 91% and Malta at 90%, the report said.

Spain saw one of the smallest increases at 11%, while Austria rose 14%. Belgium grew 15% and Luxembourg 17%.

Across the bloc, real household income per capita rose 22% overall. Eurostat said the trend stagnated from 2008 to 2011 due to the global financial crisis and declined in 2012, 2013 and 2020.