More than 1/3 of the population finds itself in a double trap of poverty and debt, as, on the one hand, the available income gets reduced on levels below the poverty line, and, on the other hand, obligations are accumulated that it is impossible to get regularly performed. 

This is the core finding of IME GSEVEE survey “HOUSEHOLDS’ INCOME AND EXEPENDITURE 2014”.

The data explicitly show that Greek households face major difficulties in copying with daily obligations, and that the additional burdens imposed during 2014 impoverished any prospect for stopping the negative course that has been developed by balancing the fiscal figures. The lack of legislative provisions for the non-withdrawal of the suspension of auctions, the increase in private poverty tax, and the attachment of deposits for arrears that have been maintained have fed into a new wave of insecurity and decrease in the domestic demand.

It is also shown that there is a trend that gets consolidated, which leads households to a lower consumption and a downgraded quality of life, to an over-accumulation of private debt (as a matter of fact, according to the latest data the overall private debt amounts now to 180 bn, while arrears towards the public sector reach 100 bn) and to an intensified insecurity with regard to future prospects, as well.

According to the survey:

1. More than 3 out of 10 households say that they live having an annual family income that lies in the lowest income grade (<€ 10,000). This figure is higher in the categories of households with 2 and 4 members.
2. 93,7% of households showed a significant decrease in income after the outburst of the crisis, with the trend of an enlarged inequality being crystal clear.
3. 46,9% of the population said that the family income is not enough in order to meet needs and 55% of the population said that additional resources were needed except of the own (borrowing from relatives or friends, bank lending, selling up property, addressing itself to a pawn-shop).
4. In 35,9 % of households, that is in more than 1 mn households, there is at least one unemployed person among the family members. Out of this figure, only a 8,9% receives an unemployment benefit.
5. The fact that pensions make up for 52% of households the main source of income is disappointing. The respective figure in 2012 stood at 42%.
6. The accumulation of households’ financial obligations during 2014 has been carried on and marginally increased compared to the previous year. More than 1 in 3 households are close to being late in payments towards the public sector, funds, public utilities, banks etc. due to inability to proceed in payments.
7. 42,5% of households keeps on having negative prospects with regard to its ability to cover key obligations during the next year. 35,4% considers that it will not be able to meet its taxation obligations during the year to come. 
8. A significant increase, despite the decrease in the overall credit expansion, has been marked in the use of credit cards for covering obligations by the household. The use of credit cards has been increased from 15,8% in 2012 to 25,4% in 2014.
9. A worrying fact is that households increased their private expenditure for health and medical treatment, due to the increase in the private contribution and the decrease in public expenditure for health (the only category where there was a positive expenditure balance).
10. In 2014, more than 54% of households had to pay above € 500 for private property taxes. The respective figure in 2013 stood at 46,8%. Three in ten households express a fear that they will lose their house due to both the accumulated obligations and the additional burdens (loan, tax ones, and other).

This survey is part of the regular annual surveys carried out by IME GSEVEE, in cooperation with the company MARC S.A.. It was carried out on a representative sample of 1025 households throughout the Greek territory in December 2014. The aim is to record the effects of economic crisis on income, household expenditure, and demand, as well as to take stock off the attitude of households towards the quality of living, tax and other financial obligations.