Vacation Affordability in Europe 2026: Who Can (and Can't) Afford a Holiday

Millions of Europeans are still putting off their dream holiday due to lack of funds, although the overall situation has improved significantly over the past decade. Find out which countries will lead in terms of holiday affordability in 2026, why the Scandinavian countries are showing an unexpected increase in “holiday poverty” and where travel is still a luxury

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Every year, as summer approaches, Eurostat publishes data on how affordable vacations remain for Europeans, and this year's study showed a mixed picture, Euronews reports.

Analysts compared the 2025 figures with data from a decade ago and found that overall, the affordability of vacations in the EU has increased significantly, although at the same time, the situation has paradoxically worsened in several wealthy countries. Read about the general European dynamics, as well as why some nations are increasingly staying at home not out of their own free will, but because of an empty wallet, in this article.

Also read, where is the cheapest place to vacation in Europe in the summer of 2026.

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How affordable is annual leave for Europeans: a general picture of the EU

In 2025, 27.5% of the European Union population aged 16 and over could not afford a week's vacation away from home - this is almost a third of the bloc's residents. Compared to 2015, when this figure reached 35.2%, progress looks significant: the past decade has brought a decrease of 7.7 percentage points.

Who can't afford one week of annual vacation in Europe (data for 2025)

Photo – Euronews

According to more recent Euronews data, compared to 2024, the share of those who cannot afford vacation has even increased slightly – almost three out of ten EU citizens were unable to afford a week's vacation away from home, and this share increased by 0.5 percentage points compared to 2024. That is, the positive trend of the decade is not linear – in recent years it has rather stabilized than continues to fall steadily.

The share of people who cannot afford a week's vacation and annual net earnings (data for 2025)

Photo – Euronews

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For residents of which EU countries does vacation remain a luxury?

The gap between regions is striking: in Switzerland and Norway, only 9% of the population cannot afford a week of vacation, while in Romania this figure reaches 61%. Southern and South-Eastern Europe traditionally lead the way in the level of "holiday poverty" - this group includes the candidate countries for EU accession:

- Romania - 61%

- Montenegro - 58%

- Albania - 53%

- Turkey - 51%

- North Macedonia - 48%

Where in Europe is the lowest minimum wage, we tell you here.

For comparison, in Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Denmark and Slovenia, the share of those who cannot afford a vacation does not exceed 15%. Interestingly, in 2025, the highest proportions of people who could not afford a week's holiday were recorded in Romania, Greece, Bulgaria and Hungary, and these same countries - Romania, Greece and Bulgaria - also had the highest rates of severe material and social deprivation among young people. That is, holiday poverty is not an isolated problem here, but part of a wider picture of material disadvantage.

Inability to afford one week of annual holiday in the EU

Photo - Euronews

Where is the proportion of people who cannot afford annual holiday increasing?

The most paradoxical part of the study concerns not poor but wealthy countries. Over the past decade, the proportion of people who cannot afford a holiday has increased in five countries - Norway, Sweden, Finland, Germany and Austria. The most notable growth was recorded in the three Scandinavian countries: in Norway the figure rose from 5.3% to 9.1%, in Sweden from 9.2% to 12.4%, and in Finland it added 1.5 points. Despite this growth, the Scandinavian figures remain among the lowest in Europe - it's just that the bar there was so low that even a small increase in the cost of living is immediately reflected in the statistics.

Germany and Austria are moving in the same direction, albeit more slowly: about one in five residents of these countries could not afford a week-long vacation in 2025, and the figure has increased by 1.2 and 0.3 points respectively over the past decade.

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What affects the ability of EU residents to afford an annual vacation?

Researchers explain the difference between countries primarily by the level of disposable income. Professor of the University of Canterbury C. Michael Hall emphasizes that it is the income that remains at the disposal of a person after mandatory expenses that determines whether he can afford to travel - and this difference reflects wider economic disparities within the EU.

Professor Lynn Minnaert from the University of Denver adds that the availability of leisure is closely correlated with the size of a country's economy: where GDP is lower, the proportion of people without a holiday is usually higher.

At the same time, over the past decade, the situation has improved in 25 of the 30 countries studied, and only in five it has worsened. The greatest progress was shown by Croatia and Serbia, where the proportion of people without a holiday decreased by 32-33 points, as well as Cyprus (-26), Ireland (-22), Bulgaria and Turkey (both -21).

Inability to afford one week of annual holiday (10-year dynamics)

Photo – Euronews

What percentage of residents can afford a holiday in 2026?

The latest Eurostat data for the first quarter of 2026 confirm that the demand for travel within the EU is not fading, despite the accessibility issues: in the first quarter of 2026, 471.1 million overnight stays were recorded in tourist establishments in the European Union – 3.4% more than in the same period in 2025. Short-term accommodation bookings via online platforms have also increased significantly: in January-March 2026, guests spent 144.3 million nights in short-term rental accommodation in the EU, booking them via Airbnb, Booking or Expedia, which is 9.7% more than a year earlier. This indirectly indicates that even in difficult financial conditions, Europeans are looking for more flexible and often cheaper formats of vacation instead of classic hotels.

Another trend is also noticeable: most Europeans do not travel abroad at all, choosing to travel within their own country. According to Eurostat, the highest share of domestic tourism among residents' trips was in Romania (90%), Spain (88%), as well as France, Portugal and Greece (85% each). In contrast, residents of Luxembourg, Belgium and Malta travel abroad most often - this is logical given the compactness of these states. On average, a trip within the EU lasts four nights, and a trip outside the bloc - eight.

Find out which European countries have the most vacancies in 2026 here.

The general conclusion is simple: despite the gradual increase in the cost of travel, Europeans are not giving up on vacation - they are adapting to the new realities, choosing more budget accommodation options, internal routes or more careful planning. And it is careful planning - including documents and visa requirements - that often determines how stress-free the trip will be.

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Reminder! One ticket – four capitals: a new travel format allows you to combine an affordable budget, vibrant nightlife and world-class attractions in one trip. We have already told you which five bus routes in Europe have been recognized as the best for trip-maxxing in 2026 and what has changed at EU borders since the launch of the EES system.

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