EnetEnglish.gr, 17:05 Thursday 5 December 2013
In Greece, 3.8m people at risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2012
Eurostat figures shows figure grew by 400,000 on previous year
Greece now in 4th place in Eurostat's poverty or social exclusion tables, after Bulgaria (49.3%), Romania (41.7%) and Latvia (34.6%)
People reach out for fruit and vegetables freely distributed by farmers in Athens, 6 February 2013 (Reuters)
3.8m people in Greece – or 34.6% of the country's population – were at risk of poverty or social exclusion, compared with 31% in 2011 and 28.1% in 2008, the European Union's statistical arm said on Thursday.
Data from Eurostat put Greece well above the EU average, where 24.8% (or 124.5m people) were at risk of poverty or social exclusion.
This means that they were in at least one of the following three conditions: at risk of poverty, severely materially deprived or living in households with very low work intensity.
Greece went from 6th to 4th place in Eurostat's poverty or social exclusion tables, after Bulgaria (49.3%), Romania (41.7%) and Latvia (36.6%)
Eurostat said the country had the highest share of people at risk of poverty, with almost a quarter (23.1%) of the population found to be in this category, which means they live in a household that makes 60% of the average disposable income.
Bulgaria and Romania followed with 21.2% and 22.6%, respectively.
Greece rank fifth in terms of its share of population living in severely materially deprived conditions.
About one in five (19.5%) were unable to do four of the following nine things: i) to pay rent or utility bills, ii) keep home adequately warm, iii) face unexpected expenses, iv) eat meat, fish or a protein equivalent every second day, v) a week holiday away from home, vi) a car, vii) a washing machine, viii) a colour TV, or ix) a telephone.
Top of that list were Bulgaria (44.1%), Romania (29.9%), Latvia (26%) and Hungary (25.7%).
The survey found that 14.1% of people in Greece under the age of 60 lived in houses where the adults of working age worked less than a fifth of the year. Only Croatia (16.1%) had a higher figure.
Greece: percentage of population at risk of poverty or social exclusion, 2004-2012
Year % of total population
2004 30.9
2005 29.4
2006 29.3
2007 28.3
2008 28.1
2009 27.6
2010 27.7
2011 31.0
2012 34.6
Greece: percentage of population materially deprived, 2003-2012
Year % of total population
2003 16.9
2004 14.1
2005 12.8
2006 11.5
2007 11.5
2008 11.2
2009 11.0
2010 11.6
2011 15.2
2012 19.5