The poorest country in the European Union, based on recent Eurostat data for household welfare and real income per capita, is often cited as Hungary, with some sources also pointing to Bulgaria, though Bulgaria has sometimes ranked lower on GDP per capita metrics in the past. While Ukraine and Moldova are poorer overall in Europe, they aren't EU members, making Hungary and Bulgaria the poorest within the bloc, with Hungary recently falling behind Romania and Bulgaria in some welfare measures.
According to Eurostat, Hungary is now the poorest country in the European Union based on real income per capita—not GDP, but how much citizens can actually afford. Once more prosperous, it now trails behind Romania and Bulgaria. And while Orbán flatters Putin and attacks Brussels, his people pay the price.
Luxembourg is the wealthiest country in the European Union, per capita, and its citizens enjoy a high. It is a major center for large private banking, and its finance sector is the biggest contributor to its economy. The country's main trading partners are Germany, France and Belgium.
Czechia (Czech Republic) has the lowest rate at 10.2% and Bulgaria the highest at 22.9% (See European Pillar of Social Rights Social Scoreboard here). In 2022, the severely material and social deprivation rate***** for the EU overall was 6.7% of the population.
Vatican City is not only the least populous country in the entire world but also the least populated in the entire European continent. According to statistics, Around 825 people live within the region that is called Vatican City.
The richest country by GDP (PPP) per capita is often cited as Singapore, followed closely by Luxembourg, depending on the specific report and year, with Singapore leading in 2025 estimates with around $156,000-$157,000 per person, while Luxembourg is a strong contender just below that, highlighting small, finance-heavy economies as wealthiest per person.
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As of 2024, out of 36 countries, Switzerland is the most expensive, with prices at 184% of the EU average — 84% higher than the average. Turkey is the cheapest, with prices at 47% of the EU average, meaning they are 53% lower than the EU average.
According to GDP per capita, the US looks ~55% richer ($81k vs $52k) than Germany.
In a non-European Union context, the term E3 is commonly used to describe the three largest western European economies: France, Germany, and the United Kingdom.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria stands out as one of the most cheap European countries to visit, offering a perfect mix of history, culture, and natural beauty.
The three most powerful members of the European Union — France, Italy and Germany — as well as the United Kingdom are referred to as the Big Four of Western Europe. They are major European powers and the only EU countries individually represented as full members of the G7, the G8, and the G20.
About 32% of EU citizens tend to trust the EU as an institution, and about 55% do not tend to trust it (13% "don't know"). Distrust of the EU was highest in Greece (81%), Cyprus (72%), Austria (65%), France (65%), the United Kingdom (UK) and the Czech Republic (both 63%).
Iceland: As a NATO member, it has no standing army and relies on alliances for defense. Mauritius: Maintains a special police force for its security. Panama: Abolished its military after a civil war in the late 1980s and uses its public forces for security.
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Ranked number one since 2008, Iceland remains the world's most peaceful nation, leading across all three domains: safety and security, ongoing conflict and militarisation.
Australia currently stands as the second-wealthiest country in the world, with a median wealth per adult of US$268,000 (AU$413,000). In other words, half the population has more than this amount and half has less.
By 2050, China is projected to be the world's richest country by total GDP, leading a significant shift where emerging economies like India, Indonesia, Brazil, and Russia rise to challenge traditional giants, with the U.S. potentially falling to third, while Singapore might become the richest per capita (PPP), though these predictions depend heavily on technological progress, political stability, and growth rates.
The United States is richer than China when comparing total economic output (nominal GDP) and individual wealth (GDP per capita), but China leads in Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) GDP, reflecting its massive domestic market's buying power, and has a larger overall economy by some measures, though the US remains ahead. The US has significantly more millionaires and billionaires, showing greater wealth concentration.
But despite the economic uptick of recent years, Tasmania is still the poorest Australian state.
2021 or latest data
The OECD's estimate for the overall rate of poverty in Australia according to this graph is 12.6% (compared with our estimate for 2019-20 of 13.4%). This makes Australia's poverty rate the 15th highest among the 38 OECD countries.
The majority of adults living in poverty are employed and have at least a high school education. Although the US is a relatively wealthy country by international standards, it has a persistently high poverty rate compared to other developed countries due in part to a less generous welfare system.