BoG: 34.6% of Greeks are poor and excluded

Poverty rises sharply amidst the crisis, as evidenced by the data released by BoG in its annual report. It is significant that over 1,250,000 people have an annual income below 4,000 euros, while the long-term unemployed (out of work for over 12 months) increased from 185,500 in 2008 to 955,600 in 2013.

The BoG report contains a special chapter on poverty in Greece, which indicates that 23.1% of the population is below the poverty line, ie 2,535,700 persons or 914,873 households and that 50% of the poor have income of less than 4,000 euros per year.

Additionally, according to data from 2012, 3,795,100 people or 34.6% of the total population are at risk of poverty and social exclusion. This is one of the highest rates in the EU, with the exception of Bulgaria (49.3%), Romania (41.7%) and Latvia (36.6%). The report also estimates that from 2010 to 2012 the size of poverty in absolute terms almost doubled.

Specifically, the population living in households with no working members or working for less than 3 months per year amounts to 1,010,900 people or 16.1% of the population aged 18-59 years, while in 2010 and 2011 the same figure was 544,800 and 837,300 people respectively.