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A deep social divide in life and death has emerged in Athens, a study by the Institute of Demographic Research and Studies (IDEM) reveals.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mortality rates are significantly higher in the working-class districts of western Athens, central Athens, and Piraeus than in the wealthier northern and southern suburbs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The analysis highlights a sharp rise in mortality during Greece\u2019s financial crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic, reversing decades of decline.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In 2021, mortality rates were 14.9 per 1,000 in Piraeus, 14.1 in central Athens, and 13.9 in western Athens, compared to 11.8 in southern and 10.9 in northern districts. \u201cThe first key finding is the increased mortality since 2010 due to economic turmoil,\u201d said Professor Byron Kotzamanis of the University of Thessaly. \u201cSecondly, poorer areas show much higher mortality, which widened during the pandemic.\u201d<\/p>\n
Factors like Greece\u2019s high private healthcare costs forced many to forgo treatment, intensifying health inequalities.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The research links mortality disparities to social determinants, such as poorer housing and work conditions, compounded by environmental hazards.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cPiraeus and central Athens are associated with the highest levels of pollution, specifically particulate matter, due to the port and increased traffic, respectively. In contrast, the lowest levels of pollution are observed in the southern suburbs,\u201d noted atmospheric researcher Nikos Mihalopoulos.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWorse living conditions, diet, environment, and especially work conditions \u2013 regarding hours, intensity and flexibility, as well as unhealthy workplaces \u2013 significantly burden the working class and the poorer segments of society. At the same time, when they need care, they cannot afford health services,\u201d said Professor Alexis Benos, a public health expert, who called attention to the additional pandemic burden.<\/p>\n
Working-class populations, he noted, faced risks from overcrowded public transport and workplaces, while teleworking protected the middle class.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n