Thirty three per cent of the Cyprus population with a disability was at risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2019, placing the country at number 10 of all EU member states.

According to Eurostat figures published on Monday, 28.4 per cent of the EU population with a disability (aged 16 or over) was at risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2019, compared with 18.4 per cent of those with no activity limitation.

In Cyprus, the risk of those having no activity limitations being poor or excluded was very close to the EU average, 18.7 per cent.

In 2019, the EU countries that recorded the highest proportion of people with a disability who were at risk of poverty or social exclusion were Bulgaria (50.7 per cent), Latvia (42.1 per cent) and Estonia with 40 per cent.

Member states with the lowest proportion were Slovakia, 19.2 per cent, Denmark, 20.3 per cent and Austria, 22.2 per cent.

“There were significant differences in the percentage of people with a disability who were exposed to the risk of poverty or social exclusion across EU member states. However, for all member states, people with a disability were at a higher risk of poverty and social exclusion than those with none,” Eurostat commented.