Only one in six of Europe's young Romas have studied beyond primary school, while half of the population lacks a toilet, shower or electricity, a new report said.
The study, conducted jointly by the EU Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA), the UN developmment programme (UNDP) and the World Bank, found that only 15 percent of young Romas in the European Union have a secondary education or vocational training.
This compares with over 70 percent for non-Romas who live in similar conditions nearby, according to the report, which made a point of interviewing people from the two communities who shared "the same environment, labour market and social infrastructure."
Meanwhile, 45 percent lived in a home that was without either a toilet, a shower, electricity or an indoor kitchen, and only 30 percent had paid work, the study found.
"These survey results paint a grim picture of the situation of the Roma across the EU today," FRA director Morten Kjaerum said in a statement.
The report was based on interviews with over 22,200 Romas and non-Romas in 11 countries -- France, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Portugal, Spain, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia --representing much of Europe's Roma population.
"The magnitude and the similarity of exclusion patterns across EU member states is striking and leaves no excuse for delaying swift, effective action to improve the situation," Kjaerum noted.
Eighty percent of those interviewed lived in households considered "at risk of poverty," and in 40 percent of cases, at least one person in the home had gone to bed hungry in the past month because the family could not afford to buy enough food, according to the report.
The findings are to be used to inform the European Commission's policy on Roma, with Kjaerum calling for more investment into educating young people from this community.
"This is key to unlock their future potential, and it will equip young Roma with the skills they need to escape the vicious cycle of discrimination, exclusion and poverty," he said.
The Roma minority in Europe has a population of 10-12 million people, according to FRA estimates.
Half of Roma population lacks household sanitation
Only one in six of Europe's young Romas have studied beyond primary school, while half of the population lacks a toilet, shower or electricity, a new report said.
The study, conducted jointly by the EU Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA), the UN developmment programme (UNDP) and the World Bank, found that only 15 percent of young Romas in the European Union have a secondary education or vocational training.
This compares with over 70 percent for non-Romas who live in similar conditions nearby, according to the report, which made a point of interviewing people from the two communities who shared "the same environment, labour market and social infrastructure."
Meanwhile, 45 percent lived in a home that was without either a toilet, a shower, electricity or an indoor kitchen, and only 30 percent had paid work, the study found.
"These survey results paint a grim picture of the situation of the Roma across the EU today," FRA director Morten Kjaerum said in a statement.
The report was based on interviews with over 22,200 Romas and non-Romas in 11 countries -- France, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Portugal, Spain, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia --representing much of Europe's Roma population.
"The magnitude and the similarity of exclusion patterns across EU member states is striking and leaves no excuse for delaying swift, effective action to improve the situation," Kjaerum noted.
Eighty percent of those interviewed lived in households considered "at risk of poverty," and in 40 percent of cases, at least one person in the home had gone to bed hungry in the past month because the family could not afford to buy enough food, according to the report.
The findings are to be used to inform the European Commission's policy on Roma, with Kjaerum calling for more investment into educating young people from this community.
"This is key to unlock their future potential, and it will equip young Roma with the skills they need to escape the vicious cycle of discrimination, exclusion and poverty," he said.
The Roma minority in Europe has a population of 10-12 million people, according to FRA estimates.
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