In an article titled “Crisis in Greece: The Numbers,” the Wall Street Journal focuses in what it characterizes as the “biggest economic crisis in Greece’s recent history” and presents some statistics that showcase its effects into all aspects of Greek life.
Read below the figures that paint a bleak picture of the Greek reality
25% – This is how much the Greek economy has shrunk since mid-2008.
25.8% – This is the percentage of Greek citizens who are unemployed, according to ELSTAT. This percentage translates to approximately 1.2 million people.
3rd –This is Greece’s ranking among its European partners for the percentage of population at risk of poverty and social exclusion, according to Eurostat figures.
23.1% – This is the percentage of Greeks living at risk of poverty in 2013, according to Eurostat figures.
€77 Billion – The amount of non-performing loans
€70 billion – An estimate on the value of outflows from Greek banks over the past five years.
83.9% -The percentage that the Athens stock market has fallen since 2008.
1 in 4 – Closures of small and medium-sized enterprises since 2008, amounting to some 230,000 in total.
9 times – How much more self-employed professionals had to pay in 2014 in taxes.
7 times – How much more Greek employees and pensioners had to pay in taxes in 2014 compared with 2009.
23% – Percentage Greeks pay as value-added tax on most goods.
100,000 – The number of Greek scientists now working abroad.