Greece’s at-risk-of-poverty or social exclusion rate was 26.9% in 2024, according to the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) in Risk of Poverty or Social Exclusion 2024. The same release reports a 19.6% at-risk-of-poverty rate after social transfers. These measures describe different dimensions of economic hardship, so they should be read together rather than treated as interchangeable.
Contents
- The headline rates
- How the rate changed from 2015 to 2024
- Income thresholds used in 2024
- Household and housing differences
- Low work intensity
- Poverty by age and sex
The headline rates
ELSTAT’s 2024 figures place the total population’s at-risk-of-poverty or social exclusion rate at 26.9%. This is the broadest headline measure in the supplied release. It combines poverty risk with other forms of social and economic disadvantage, making it useful for viewing the overall scale of vulnerability.
The at-risk-of-poverty rate after social transfers was 19.6% in 2024. This measure is narrower than the social-exclusion measure and is explicitly reported after social transfers. ELSTAT recorded the same 19.6% figure for the total population in its detailed 2024 breakdown. Women had a rate of 20.2%, while men had a rate of 18.9%.
The difference between the two headline measures in 2024 is 7.3 percentage points. That gap should not be interpreted as a count of people lifted out of poverty or as a causal estimate. It reflects the distinction between the measures reported by ELSTAT.
For readers comparing figures, the source label is important: all figures in this article come from ELSTAT’s Risk of Poverty or Social Exclusion 2024 release, unless a different measurement period is stated. The release reports rates, thresholds, household categories, and population groups for Greece.
How the rate changed from 2015 to 2024
The at-risk-of-poverty or social exclusion rate was 32.4% in 2015 and 32.6% in 2016. It was 32.2% in 2017, 30.3% in 2018, and 29.0% in 2019. The rate then stood at 27.4% in 2020, 28.3% in 2021, 26.3% in 2022, 26.1% in 2023, and 26.9% in 2024.
The corresponding at-risk-of-poverty rate after social transfers was 21.4% in 2015 and 21.2% in 2016. It was 20.2% in 2017, 18.5% in 2018, and 17.9% in 2019. The rate was 17.7% in 2020, 19.6% in 2021, 18.8% in 2022, 18.9% in 2023, and 19.6% in 2024.
| Measurement year | At risk of poverty or social exclusion | At risk of poverty after social transfers |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 32.4% | 21.4% |
| 2016 | 32.6% | 21.2% |
| 2017 | 32.2% | 20.2% |
| 2018 | 30.3% | 18.5% |
| 2019 | 29.0% | 17.9% |
| 2020 | 27.4% | 17.7% |
| 2021 | 28.3% | 19.6% |
| 2022 | 26.3% | 18.8% |
| 2023 | 26.1% | 18.9% |
| 2024 | 26.9% | 19.6% |
The two series do not move identically in every year. The broader rate declined from 32.4% in 2015 to 26.9% in 2024, while the post-transfer poverty rate declined from 21.4% to 19.6% over the same reported period. The 2024 broad rate was higher than the 2023 figure, and the post-transfer rate was also higher in 2024 than in 2023.
These are historical observations from the ELSTAT release. They are not forecasts, and the supplied source material does not provide a forecast period.
Income thresholds used in 2024
ELSTAT reported an annual at-risk-of-poverty threshold of 6,510 euros for a single-person household. For two adults, the reported threshold was 9,765 euros per year. For two adults with two children under 14, the threshold was 13,671 euros per year.
The thresholds are household-specific figures in the 2024 release. They should not be presented as one universal income cutoff for every household composition. A comparison between households needs to retain the household structure attached to each figure.
The threshold figures also differ from the population rates above. A threshold is an annual euro amount for a specified household type; a rate is a percentage for a specified population or household group. Keeping those units separate prevents the threshold from being mistaken for an average income or for the number of people in poverty.
Household and housing differences
Household composition is strongly associated with the reported 2024 at-risk-of-poverty-or-social-exclusion rates. Households with one adult and at least one dependent child had a rate of 43.7%. Households with dependent children had a rate of 28.9%, while households without dependent children had a rate of 20.6%.
Housing tenure also shows distinct reported rates. Renters in a rented home had an at-risk-of-poverty-or-social-exclusion rate of 32.2%. Owner-occupiers with a mortgage or loan had a rate of 22.0%. Owner-occupiers without an outstanding mortgage or loan had a rate of 24.6%.
| 2024 group | At risk of poverty or social exclusion |
|---|---|
| One adult with at least one dependent child | 43.7% |
| Households with dependent children | 28.9% |
| Households without dependent children | 20.6% |
| Renters in a rented home | 32.2% |
| Owner-occupiers with a mortgage or loan | 22.0% |
| Owner-occupiers without an outstanding mortgage or loan | 24.6% |
The highest listed household rate is 43.7% for one adult with at least one dependent child. The lowest listed rate in this comparison is 20.6% for households without dependent children. These categories are not all mutually exclusive: a household can have dependent children and also be a renter, for example. The table therefore compares reported groups rather than creating a single ranking of every household.
The housing figures should also be read as category-specific observations, not as evidence that tenure alone determines poverty risk. The supplied ELSTAT figures report the rates for these housing groups but do not establish why the groups differ.
Low work intensity
ELSTAT reported that 8.6% of people aged 18–64 lived in households with low work intensity in 2024. Within that measure, the rate was 9.7% for women and 7.6% for men.
For people aged 0–17, the low-work-intensity rate was 3.7%. The rate was 3.7% for girls and 3.6% for boys. For people aged 0–64, the reported rate was 7.5%; it was 8.3% for women and 6.7% for men.
| Population group in the low-work-intensity measure | Rate in 2024 |
|---|---|
| Ages 18–64, total | 8.6% |
| Ages 18–64, women | 9.7% |
| Ages 18–64, men | 7.6% |
| Ages 0–17, total | 3.7% |
| Ages 0–17, girls | 3.7% |
| Ages 0–17, boys | 3.6% |
| Ages 0–64, total | 7.5% |
| Ages 0–64, women | 8.3% |
| Ages 0–64, men | 6.7% |
The age ranges are part of the definition of each reported figure. The 18–64 measure should not be compared as though it covered the same population as the 0–64 measure. Likewise, the children’s figures describe children aged 0–17, while the adult figures describe people aged 18–64.
Across the listed sex breakdowns, women had higher low-work-intensity rates than men in both the 18–64 and 0–64 groups. The difference was 2.1 percentage points for ages 18–64 and 1.6 percentage points for ages 0–64. These comparisons describe the reported rates; they do not identify the causes of the differences.
Poverty by age and sex
The 2024 at-risk-of-poverty rate after social transfers was 22.4% for children aged 0–17. Within that age group, girls had a rate of 23.0% and boys had a rate of 21.8%.
For people aged 18–64, the rate was 19.1%. Women in this age group had a rate of 19.1%, and men had a rate of 19.2%. The total and sex-specific figures are therefore very close, but they remain separate reported values.
For people aged 65 and over, the rate was 18.8%. The rate was 21.3% for women aged 65 and over and 15.6% for men in the same age group.
| Age group and sex | At risk of poverty after social transfers in 2024 |
|---|---|
| Ages 0–17, total | 22.4% |
| Ages 0–17, girls | 23.0% |
| Ages 0–17, boys | 21.8% |
| Ages 18–64, total | 19.1% |
| Ages 18–64, women | 19.1% |
| Ages 18–64, men | 19.2% |
| Ages 65+, total | 18.8% |
| Ages 65+, women | 21.3% |
| Ages 65+, men | 15.6% |
Among the three age totals shown here, the highest post-transfer poverty rate was 22.4% for ages 0–17, followed by 19.1% for ages 18–64 and 18.8% for ages 65 and over. The sex differences are most pronounced in the 65+ group: women were reported at 21.3%, compared with 15.6% for men.
The age and sex breakdowns measure at-risk-of-poverty after social transfers, whereas the household and housing comparison above uses at-risk-of-poverty or social exclusion. The labels and definitions should remain attached to the figures when comparing them.