Inequality and Poverty in the Last Quarter of the 20th Century

Among the most important aims of social policy are, undoubtedly, the alleviation of poverty and the mitigation of economic and social inequalities. Therefore, detailed knowledge of the nature of poverty and inequality in a particular society is essential for the design of efficient social policies. Very frequently, the arguments rehearsed in the Greek public discourse regarding the level, structure and inter-temporal trends of inequality and poverty in Greece either lack empirical substantiation or are directly contradicted by the findings of existing empirical studies. To the extent possible, the aim of this chapter is to investigate aspects of inequality and poverty in Greece and provide substantiated evidence for public discourse.