Dhaka, July 24 -- Despite slight improvements over the past decade, a significant share of the European Union's working population still cannot afford a basic one-week holiday, according to new data from Eurostat.

In 2024, 27pc of adults aged 16 and over in the EU reported being unable to afford a one-week vacation - a marginal decrease from 28.5pc in 2023, and a more notable drop of 10.6 percentage points compared to 2014.

While these figures suggest slow but steady progress, they also underscore persistent economic inequalities across the EU and its member states.

The disparities are especially stark when viewed by country. Romania recorded the highest share of residents unable to afford a holiday at 58.6pc, followed by Greece (46.0p...