Eurostat: Young people from richer households report better health; Romania and Greece top the list

Young people from better-off households report markedly higher levels of good health than their peers with lower incomes, Eurostat data show. The statistical office’s latest figures, published yesterday (26 October 2026), reveal sharp cross-country contrasts across the EU.

Across the European Union in 2025, 89.7 percent of young people aged 16–29 said their health was “good” or “very good”. But when responses are broken down by household income, the gap is clear: 85.6 percent of young people from the lowest-income households described their health as good or very good, compared with 93.7 percent among those from the highest-income households.

Big national differences

At the national level, Romania recorded the highest share of young people reporting good or very good health — 98.2 percent — with Greece close behind at 98.1 percent and Croatia at 95.9 percent. By contrast, only 74.4 percent of young people in Sweden said their health was good or very good; the Netherlands stood at 79.8 percent and Finland at 81.4 percent.

Eurostat’s breakdown highlights that overall EU averages can mask large national and socioeconomic differences. The figures suggest that material living conditions remain a strong correlate of self-reported health among young adults.

Researchers and policymakers use self-reported health as a broad indicator of well-being and access to care, but it also reflects lifestyle, social support and expectations. The Eurostat snapshot for 2025 points to persistent inequalities that may require targeted public-health and social policies.

Further detail on the methodology and national samples is available in the full Eurostat release.

Photo: press material from the event