for instance with the poverty threshold defined as per cent of a country s median income in million people in the eu were at risk of falling into poverty and in more than half of all people in lowincome households in the eu lived with the persistent risk of falling into poverty in addition it is estimated that one in five people in europe lives in substandard housing and per cent live in households where no one works commission of the european communities during the s poverty rates were highest in the united states the united kingdom of great britain and northern ireland ireland italy and greece