In 2019, a record number of Czechs, over 80%, could afford to go on vacation for a week, compared to a European average of just 70%. Though this continues an upward trend in the Czech Republic, the figure is likely to drop in 2020. Photo credit: Freepik / For illustrative purposes.
Czech Rep., Jul 21 (BD) – Fewer than one in five Czechs were unable to afford a one-week holiday in 2019, according to new data from Eurostat, a record low since this data was first collected in 2005. The record high was 44% back in 2012. The equivalent Europe-wide figure is close to one in three.
With over 80% of Czechs able to afford a week away, the Czech Republic fares much better than many other European countries. While 9th highest doesn’t sound so striking, all the countries above it, except Slovenia in 8th place, are considered to be among the wealthier countries in Europe: Sweden, Luxembourg, and Denmark take the top three spots, with around 90% being able to get away for a week. The other Visegrad countries, by contrast, score much lower; in Hungary, over 40% cannot afford a one-week holiday, and around 35% of Slovaks and Poles.
In the past decade, economies have grown and travel has become more affordable, leading to a drastic decline in people unable to afford a one-week holiday. In 2010, 40% of Europeans couldn’t manage a week away, compared to 30% in 2019. In the Czech Republic, this share dropped by 20 percentage points, from 40% in 2010 to 20% in 2019. In Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, the majority of the population could not afford to go on holiday for a week in 2009. This steady downward trend is most likely to end in 2020, due to Covid-19 and the economic disruption it has caused.
