ATHENS — A 28.9 pct of the Greek population, or 3,043,869 people, faced the risk of poverty or social exclusion last year (2019 incomes), down 1.1 percentage points compared with 2019, Hellenic Statistical Authority said in a report on Tuesday.

The poverty risk rate was the highest among the age group of 18-34 years old (31.9 pct), of which 30.2 pct were Greeks and 54 pct foreigners living in the country. The poverty threshold in Greece is set at 5,266 euros annually for single-person households and at 11,059 euros annually for a family with two children. Households at risk of poverty totaled 697,590 in 2020, out of a total 4,115,678 households in the country. Five regions (Ionian Islands, Attica, Crete, South Aegean and Epirus) recorded poverty risk rates below the country's average, while eight regions (Thessaly, Central Greece, Peloponnese, North Aegean, Central Macedonia, West Macedonia, East Macedonia/Thrace and Western Greece) recorded higher poverty risk rates.

In a separate report on income inequality in the country, based on 2019 incomes, the statistics service said that the lowest-income quartile (25 pct) of the population had a maximum yearly income of 6,079 euros while in the highest-income quartile (25 pct) of the population, the lowest annual income was 12,315 euros.