Two-thirds of Greek households struggle to make ends meet, study finds

According to IOBE, the picture of income inequality in Greece is contradictory. The main indicators show an improvement on the crisis years, as economic recovery has been accompanied by falling income inequality and rising employment. Yet the daily experience of many households remains far more negative. The Gini index, a standard measure of inequality, fell from 34.2% in 2015 to 31.6% in 2025, but around 68% of households report struggling to make ends meet, compared with 19% across the EU. Self-employment income shows the greatest inequality of any income source. Young people aged 16–24 remain the age group at highest risk of poverty, while single-parent households and large families continue to face the greatest financial vulnerability.

IOBE states that the central finding of the study is that, despite significant progress over the past decade in key inequality indicators, the daily experience of a large share of Greek households is still defined by financial insecurity, limited opportunities and difficulty in accessing basic goods and services. Income inequality has fallen since the crisis, employment has strengthened and the economy has returned to growth, yet many citizens still perceive inequality as particularly acute and report, in large numbers, that they struggle to meet their needs. This complex reality shows that inequality cannot be assessed through the distribution of income alone. The quality of work, access to good education, health inequalities, the adequacy of long-term care services and the mounting pressure of housing costs all decisively shape households’ actual well-being and their prospects for social mobility.

Housing

Households with incomes below 60% of the median spend approximately 60% of their available resources on housing, while almost four in five households below the poverty line are behind on rent, mortgage or utility payments. Housing costs for the lowest income groups remain among the highest in Europe, and the rise in rents after 2018 has disproportionately burdened low-income tenants. Home ownership is declining among younger and economically weaker households, and the inability to cover energy and housing obligations has worsened since 2021. Housing insecurity is, in turn, associated with poorer educational and professional prospects.

Education

Education remains the most important mechanism for social mobility, yet opportunities for advancement still depend largely on a family’s socio-economic background, despite a significant increase in the number of tertiary education graduates. Heavy reliance on private tutoring and the difficulty many students face in completing their studies limit the equalising role of the education system. The share of adults with higher education rose from 26.5% to 32.6%, but Greece remains among the European countries with the lowest intergenerational educational mobility. Only about 12% of children from low educational backgrounds reach the highest levels of education, more than half of students exceed the official duration of their studies, and private tutoring remains a key tool for gaining access to higher education.

Health

Lower income groups experience higher rates of chronic disease and far greater difficulty in accessing healthcare. Greece records one of the highest rates of private health spending in the EU. Some 32% of people in the lowest income quartile report unmet health needs, compared with 10% in the highest, while chronic diseases affect 30% of those in the lowest quartile against 18% in the highest. Economic inequalities thus translate into significant differences in health status and healthy life expectancy.

The labour market

The labour market has been a key factor in improving economic conditions over the past decade, as unemployment has fallen significantly and employment has risen. However, certain structural features continue to fuel inequality and limit social mobility. High levels of self-employment, the low labour-market participation of particular groups (notably women and people with disabilities), persistent long-term unemployment and limited coverage by collective agreements all perpetuate disparities in income and opportunity.

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