According to data released by the Hellenic Statistics Service (ELSTAT), Greece “won” 6th place among 30 European countries in a survey concerning material deprivation and poverty.
As ELSTAT reported, 76.3% of the poor population and 30.8% of the non-poor claim that they not only face difficulties in dealing with emergencies, but also necessary day-to-day expenditure.
It appears that the majority of Greeks cannot afford a one week vacation per year, to buy durable goods (such as a washing machine, television, telephone, mobile phone or car), pay utility bills or repay loans.
According to the ELSTAT survey regarding the living conditions of households, the proportion of people facing financial difficulties in 2012 reached 19.5%. This compares with 15.2% in 2011, 11.6% in 2010, 11% in 2009 and 11.2% in 2008.
Analysis of the data provided by ELSTAT shows the following: 50.3% of the poor population is deprived of nutrition which includes meat or fish, while among the non-poor population it is estimated to be 2.9%. Of the total population, 26.7% cannot afford to pay for heating, while 40.3% of those who have taken out a personal loan, report that they face difficulties in repaying the installments. Of the poor population, 51.1% are having difficulty paying utility bills, such as electricity, water and gas on time, while 55.5% report great difficulty in meeting basic day-to-day needs.
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