Eurostat reports that nearly 46 million people in the EU skip regular leisure activities because of financial limits. Greece records the largest share, with more than one in four residents affected.

The statistics show notable contrasts across the continent, including among nations with comparable earnings levels.

Research connects involvement in social and leisure events to stronger mental health and fewer signs of depression or anxiety. Eurostat notes that such activities support overall life quality.

This raises questions on where costs most often block participation and how far income explains the differences.

During 2025 the portion of people unable to join leisure activities regularly stretched from 3.9 percent in Croatia to 27.3 percent in Greece, against an EU mean of 12.1 percent, according to Eurostat.

The numbers cover those aged 16 and older. With roughly 381 million in this group that year, about 46 million faced the cost barrier.

Shares above 15 percent also appeared in Romania at 23.3 percent, Lithuania at 17.9 percent, Latvia at 16.2 percent, North Macedonia at 15.9 percent and Hungary at 15.8 percent.

France and Spain Surpass EU Mean

France at 13.9 percent and Spain at 13.4 percent both exceeded the EU average, as did Switzerland at 13 percent.

Germany stood at 11.7 percent, just under the mean, while Italy recorded 10.7 percent.

Czechia at 4.1 percent, Luxembourg at 5.4 percent, Norway at 5.7 percent and Slovakia at 5.7 percent sat near Croatia at the low end.

Nordic EU members showed higher figures than Croatia: Denmark at 10.4 percent, Sweden at 9.7 percent and Finland at 7.9 percent.

Other results included 6.7 percent in the Netherlands, 8.7 percent in Turkey and Portugal, 9.2 percent in Ireland and 9.7 percent in Belgium.

Women Face Greater Barriers to Leisure

Except in Malta where the gap was only 0.1 percentage point, women reported lower affordability than men. Across the EU the share reached 13 percent for women versus 11.1 percent for men.

Larger gaps emerged in Lithuania at 5.1 percentage points, Romania at 4.7 points, Denmark at 3.9 points and France at 3.7 points.

Income Plays a Partial Role

Euronews Business review of 33 European countries finds income matters but leaves much unexplained. A moderate connection exists between median income and the share missing leisure due to cost. Income data from Eurostat use median equivalised income in purchasing power standards.

Income explains under one fifth of country differences. Czechia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania shared nearly identical median incomes between 17,097 and 17,190 PPS, yet only 4.1 percent in Czechia faced barriers compared with 10.7 percent in Estonia, 16.2 percent in Latvia and 17.9 percent in Lithuania.

Wealthier nations showed similar patterns. France and Cyprus had almost matching median incomes at 23,792 and 23,782 PPS, but France recorded 13.9 percent versus 6.3 percent in Cyprus.

Greece led at 27.3 percent with median income of 13,612 PPS. Turkey at 8.7 percent and Serbia at 9.9 percent had lower incomes yet lower shares. Croatia, Czechia and Slovakia posted low rates despite incomes below the EU median of 22,638 PPS.

Internal Inequality Matters

Within the EU those below the poverty line were over three times more likely to miss leisure activities, at 29 percent.

While internal inequality may contribute, Euronews Business analysis finds only a weak and statistically insignificant link to leisure affordability using Eurostat Gini coefficients.

Survey Responses Influence Outcomes

Response patterns affect results. A Eurostat working paper by Anne-Catherine Guio and team noted that poor respondents may claim they do not want items simply because they cannot afford them. Leisure ranked highest among items not viewed as necessities.

Defining Leisure Activities

Eurostat defines leisure activities as sport, cinema and concerts that occur outside the home. These require spending on entry fees, travel, equipment or organised participation such as club fees.