The poverty index in Greece went up 9 percent in 2015, making it the worst year since the onset of the economic crisis, according to Bank of Greece figures.
Along with the rise of the poverty index, the risk of poverty index went up 16.1 percent, says the report of the governor of Greece’s central bank. The poverty threshold is 50 percent of the average income.
According to the report, the measures to ease the humanitarian crisis in Greek society have not been calculated.
The burden on the poorest Greeks is caused because subsidies and benefits that were granted in 2014 were not distributed in 2015, making the income of poorer Greeks drop. Increased healthcare contributions and tax hikes were the other two factors that caused the drop of incomes and, thereby, disposable income.
It is noted in the report that the poverty index went up 9 percent in 2015 when it dropped 9.2 percent in 2014. The poverty gap also widened by 12.8 percent, while the poverty risk index skyrocketed by 16.1 percent.
The index measuring social inequalities went up 1.6 percent. Also, the gap between 10 percent of the richest to 10 percent of the poorest went up 9.1 percent.
The poverty index in 2010 was 0.4 percent, went up to 2.8 percent in 2011, there was no variation in 2012, and went up by 1.5 percent in 2013.
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