The majority of Greek households cannot afford to pay their taxes, says a study conducted by the General Confederation of Greek Workers (GSEE).
“The sharp decline of wages in the past six years has reduced dramatically the tax-paying abilities of Greek households and has put the viability of the social security system at risk,” says the study of the GSEE Labor Institute.
“In addition, reduced revenues and the consequent decrease of consumption during the economic crisis prevented revenue growth from indirect taxes, despite the implementation of extended tax measures,” the report says.
The study also shows that unemployment is highest among the young, with the highest percentage (58.1 percent) appearing in the 15-19 age group, while it is 47.7 percent in the 20-24 group.
Furthermore, the study shows that the poverty index has gone up 30 percentage points since 2010, meaning that the number of poor households more than doubled.
Specifically, 48 percent of Greek households now live below the poverty threshold, while 20.9 percent are unable to cover their basic needs, with the percentage going up to 43.4 percent for the unemployed.
Regarding wages, 50 percent of private sector workers make less than 800 euros per month (14.5 percent earn up to 499 euros, 22 percent make 500-699 euros and 13.5 percent 700-800 euros), 18.6 percent of workers earn 800-1,000 euros per month.
Next, 15.7 percent earn more than 1,000 euros a month (9.8 percent make 1,000-1,299 while 5.9 percent earn more than 1,300 euros per month).
Purchasing power has also dropped substantially. In the 2010-2015 period, purchasing power declined 24.7 percent and 34.3 percent for people under 25 years old.
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