Child poverty falls to 4.02% in Greece, study finds
Multidimensional child poverty in Greece declined to 4.02% in the 2025–2026 school year, down from 5.48% a year earlier, according to a new study by the Center of Planning and Economic Research (KEPE).
The nationwide study surveyed 3,260 students and found a decrease of 1.46 percentage points in multidimensional child poverty. The overall child well-being index rose correspondingly to 95.98%, compared with 94.52% in the 2024–2025 school year.
The findings were released ahead of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, observed annually on Oct. 17. KEPE reported improvements across all components of its child well-being index.
Economic child poverty also declines
The study found that child poverty measured through economic indicators fell to 7.85% from 9.16% in the previous school year, a decrease of 1.31 percentage points.
The economic child well-being index increased to 92.15%, compared with 90.84% a year earlier.
However, KEPE noted that the decline in economic child poverty did not reach the conventional 5% threshold for statistical significance. In contrast, the reduction in overall multidimensional child poverty was statistically significant.
Non-economic well-being records strongest improvement
The most pronounced progress was recorded in the non-economic dimension of child well-being.
The corresponding index increased by 2.94 percentage points to 90.40%, up from 87.46% in 2024–2025. Non-economic child poverty declined to 9.60% from 12.54%, with the reduction also found to be statistically significant.
The findings underline the importance of examining children's living conditions beyond household income, including other factors that influence their well-being.
Broader approach to measuring child poverty
KEPE's General Child Well-Being and Multidimensional Child Poverty Index assesses economic and non-economic factors to provide a broader picture of children's living conditions.
The research center cautioned that the reported figures reflect its specific measurement framework and should not be directly compared with other indicators, such as the risk-of-income-poverty rate.
The methodology follows the principles of the European Child Guarantee and broader international efforts to complement gross domestic product (GDP) with wider measures of social well-being.
KEPE described the latest findings as encouraging while stressing the importance of systematically monitoring children's living conditions through specialized, multidimensional assessments.
Source:tovima
