EUROSTAT: 120 million people (24.2%) in EU at risk of poverty or social exclusion; 3.4 Million Greeks

One in four citizens of the European Union were at risk or poverty or social exclusion, according to latest data released by EUROSTAT for the year 2011. What is poverty? Lack of income, inability to pay bills, adequately heating a home… According to this data, at risk of poverty or social exclusion are 3,400,000 people living in Greece. I bet, these people are that the Greek government plans to tax by scrapping the tax-free amount. 

Greece

Persons at-risk-of-poverty after social transfers: 21.4%

Persons severely materially deprived: 15.2%

Persons aged 0-59 living in households with very low work intensity: 11.8%

Persons falling under at least one of the three criteria (at risk of poverty or social exclusion):

2008: 28.1%  – 2010: 27.5%  – 2011 31%

That is 3,400,000 people

“At risk of poverty or social exclusion in the EU27 -In 2011, 24% of the population were at risk of poverty or social exclusion -Corresponding to around 120 million persons

In 2011, 119.6 million people, or 24.2% of the population, in the EU27 were at risk of poverty or social exclusion, compared with 23.4% in 2010 and 23.5% in 2008. This means that they were at least in one of the following three conditions: at-risk-of-poverty 

1) severely materially deprived1 or living in households with very low work intensity.

The reduction of the number of persons at risk of poverty or social exclusion in the EU is one of the key targets of the Europe 2020 strategy

 2) In 2011, the highest shares of persons being at risk of poverty or social exclusion were recorded in Bulgaria (49%), Romania and Latvia (both 40%), Lithuania (33%), Greece and Hungary (both 31%), and the lowest in the Czech Republic (15%), the Netherlands and Sweden (both 16%), Luxembourg and Austria (both 17%).

These figures are published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union and are based on data from the EU-SILC survey

 3) 17% of the population in the EU27 at risk of income poverty…

Looking at each of the three elements contributing to being at risk of poverty or social exclusion, 17% of the population in the EU27 in 2011 were at-risk-of-poverty after social transfers, meaning that their disposable income was below their national at-risk-of-poverty threshold

 The highest at-risk-of-poverty rates were observed in Bulgaria, Romania and Spain (all 22%) and Greece (21%), and the lowest in the Czech Republic (10%), the Netherlands(11%), Austria, Denmark and Slovakia (all 13%).

It is important to note that the at-risk-of-poverty rate is a relative measure of poverty and that the poverty threshold varies greatly between Member States. The threshold varies also over time and in a number of Member States it has fallen in recent years due to the economic crisis.

 …9% severely materially deprived…

In the EU27  9% of the population were severely materially deprived, meaning that they had living conditions constrained by a lack of resources such as not being able to afford to pay their bills, keep their home adequately warm, or take a one week holiday away from home.”(Full Report EUROSTAT)

 ”One week holiday away from home”? It this supposed to be a luxury or the standard among the former developed nations of the EU 27?