The risk of poverty or social exclusion in Greece has risen in recent years, despite increasing employment and declining unemployment. According to an analysis by the ENA Institute, Greece has the second-highest rate in the European Union.
According to the latest Eurostat figures for 2025, based on 2024 incomes, 27.5% of Greece’s population is at risk of poverty or social exclusion, compared with 20.9% across the EU. Only Bulgaria has a higher rate, at 29%. The indicator covers people with incomes below the poverty threshold, those experiencing severe material and social deprivation, and those living in households with very low work intensity.
In Greece, the rate declined from 32.4% in 2014 to 26.1% in 2022, before reversing course and rising to 26.9% in 2023 and 27.5% in 2024. By contrast, the EU average fell from 21.3% to 20.9% over the same period, widening the gap between Greece and the EU from 4.8 to 6.6 percentage points.
The risk of poverty or social exclusion among people not in employment has exceeded its level during the bailout years, reaching 37.3% in 2024, compared with 37.2% in 2014.
The deterioration affects both employed and non-employed people. Among those in employment, the risk of poverty or social exclusion increased from 14.7% in 2022 to 16% in 2024, compared with 10.9% across the EU. Among those not in employment, including unemployed people, pensioners and people outside the labour force, the rate reached 37.3%, surpassing the 37.2% recorded in 2014.
The ENA Institute attributes the deterioration to the erosion of purchasing power caused by inflation, noting that higher employment rates do not necessarily translate into improved living standards. It also argues that rising poverty among people not in employment points to inadequate welfare support, despite the economy’s gradual recovery.
Source: ΕΝΑ Institute
