Multidimensional child poverty in Greece declined during the 2025–2026 school year, while overall child well-being improved, according to a new study by the Center of Planning and Economic Research (KEPE), a Greek economic research institution.
The study surveyed 3,260 students across the country and found that the multidimensional child poverty rate fell to 4.02% from 5.48% in the previous school year, a decrease of 1.46 percentage points.
Over the same period, the overall child well-being index rose to 95.98%, up from 94.52% in 2024–2025.
The findings were released ahead of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, observed on October 17. KEPE reported improvements across all the components of its child well-being index.
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Economic deprivation eases
The study also recorded a decline in child poverty measured specifically through its economic indicators. The rate 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 correspondingly increased to 92.15%, compared with 90.84% in 2024–2025.
However, the statistical evidence for this improvement was not as strong as for the overall multidimensional measure. According to KEPE’s analysis, the decline in economic child poverty did not reach the conventional 5% threshold for statistical significance.
By contrast, the reduction in overall multidimensional child poverty was statistically significant.
Non-economic well-being shows greater gains
The most pronounced improvement was recorded in the non-economic dimension of child well-being.
The non-economic child well-being index increased by 2.94 percentage points, reaching 90.40% from 87.46% a year earlier. Meanwhile, non-economic child poverty fell to 9.60% from 12.54%.
This decline was also statistically significant, according to the study.
The findings highlight the importance of assessing children’s living conditions beyond household income alone, taking into account other dimensions of their well-being.
How Greece measures child poverty
KEPE’s General Child Well-Being and Multidimensional Child Poverty Index separates economic and non-economic factors to provide a broader picture of children’s living conditions.
The institution cautioned that the reported rates relate specifically to this measurement framework and should be interpreted according to its methodology. They are not directly interchangeable with other indicators, such as the risk-of-income-poverty rate.
KEPE said its approach is consistent with the principles of the European Child Guarantee and with wider international efforts to complement gross domestic product (GDP) with broader measures of well-being.
The research center described the latest results as encouraging, while emphasizing the need to monitor children’s well-being systematically through specialized, multidimensional tools.