14.9% of the population experienced severe material and social deprivation in 2025, an increase of 0.9 percentage points compared to 2024, according to data from ELSTAT. Among all age groups, minors are in the worst situation, with the corresponding rate reaching 15.9%, up from 13.9% in 2024.
The data show significant pressure on living conditions and everyday life. 99.9% of the poor are unable to cover an unexpected expense of €500 (compared to 38.5% of the non-poor), 82.5% cannot afford to go on vacation (37.8% of the non-poor), and 35.9% do not have adequate heating in winter (13.7% of the non-poor).
At the same time, housing costs burden 26.4% of the population and 82.6% of the poor, while many struggle to repay loans (53% of the poor, 35% of the non-poor) and bills (66.6% of the poor, 23.5% of the non-poor).
The “poor population” includes individuals with an annual income below €7,200 and families with two dependent children with an annual income below €14,740.
There are also significant food-related deprivations, with 41.6% of the poor population lacking adequate nutrition (meat/fish every second day). Social life is also limited, as 27.3% of the total population does not participate in leisure activities and 34.3% cannot afford expenses for hobbies and personal needs.
In terms of health, 21.5% of those who needed medical care did not receive it (32.8% among the poor compared to 18.6% among the non-poor), while similarly, 30.5% did not receive dental treatment, with the rate rising to 55.4% for the poor (26.2% among the non-poor).
It is worth noting that among European Union countries, only Greece and two others (Romania and Bulgaria) have a double-digit percentage of the population experiencing material or social deprivation, according to “K”.
Πηγές: ΕΛΣΤΑΤ [1], [2], Καθημερινή
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