From Pandemic to Energy Crisis: Poverty Dynamics in European Nuts2 Regions

Subject and purpose of work This article analyses trends in the risk of poverty rate in NUTS2 regions across 24 European countries over 2019-2024, investigating the relative influence of national conditions versus regional factors. It further explores whether a convergence process in poverty levels has occurred despite multiple crises during this period. Notably, Europe experienced substantial socio-economic shocks, including COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which contributed to heightened inflation and an energy crisis. Materials and methods Using Eurostat data and hierarchical mixed models, the analysis reveals a declining average poverty risk but substantial regional disparities in both levels and trends. Results However, the results indicate a convergence process, suggesting that higher-poverty regions have improved relatively more, despite challenging macroeconomic conditions. Conclusions This study contributes to the literature by analysing the impact of recent crises on household poverty at the regional level and by comparing regional trends against national patterns, emphasizing the role of regional characteristics alongside national policies.