More than one in four Greeks, 27.5 percent, or roughly 2.8 million, are at risk of falling below the poverty line or experiencing social exclusion in 2025, according to data released by the EU’s statistical authority, Eurostat.
The alarming findings rank the country second last among EU member states, only above Bulgaria, which stood at 29.8 percent.
The corresponding percentage in the Eurozone bloc (20 states) between 2020 and 2025 was 21.4 percent, while the average EU stood at 20.9 percent.
Across the European Union, about 93 million people, or 20.9 percent, were at risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2025, though the figure represented a modest improvement on the previous year, according to the Eurostat report.
The total fell by 600,000 from 93.3 million, or 21.0 percent of the population, in 2024. Those counted were living in households facing at least one of three defined risk factors: income poverty, severe material and social deprivation, or very low work intensity.
The lowest rates were found in the Czech Republic at 11.5 percent, Poland at 15.0 percent, and Slovenia at 15.5 percent.
Women faced a higher risk than men across the EU, at 21.9 percent compared with 19.8 percent. By age group, young adults between 18 and 24 recorded the highest rate at 26.3 percent, while those aged 65 and over had the lowest exposure at 18.8 percent. Children under 18 also faced an elevated risk, at 24.3 percent.
Education emerged as a significant determinant of poverty risk. More than a third — 34.2 percent — of adults with low educational attainment were at risk of poverty or social exclusion, compared with 10.3 percent of those with tertiary qualifications and 19.2 percent of those with intermediate education levels.
