Twenty percent of Greece’s population are facing poverty according to a survey conducted by the National Statistics Service on living conditions and income earned in 2008.
The survey found that 832,975 households or 2,186,869 people are estimated to have an income that is at or below the poverty line.
For two adults and two dependant children the poverty line is estimated at 6,480 euro per person and 13,608 euro for households.
In its detailed analysis of poverty rates amongst the specific groups in Greece, the Greek National Statistical Service found that 23 percent of children under 17 and 22 percent of adults over 65 live below the poverty line, while 37 percent of the unemployed live below the poverty line.
Pensions reduce risk of poverty by 18.3 percent.
Women are more likely to suffer poverty than men compared to men (21 percent and 20 percent respectively) while level of education is a significant factor in lowering risk of poverty.