Housing costs squeezing Greeks

The share of people in Greece who are overburdened with housing costs is 32.4%, compared to 21.9% in Denmark and 15.3% in the Netherlands, according to the latest Eurostat survey for 2021.

These rates concern people who live in urban areas and are forced to spend more than 40% of their disposable income on payments toward the property in which they live. These costs concern rent, utilities, heating and water supply. They also concern owners, for whom any charge from servicing a mortgage loan is calculated. Furthermore, Greece is first in terms of the corresponding burden in rural areas, where the percentage spending more than 40% of their disposable income on housing needs is 22%, compared to 13.3% in Bulgaria and 10.8% in Romania.

The corresponding figure in the relevant 2020 survey was slightly higher at 33.3%, while the EU average did not exceed 7.8%. In 2021, this...