User:Astathat/sandbox

In proportion to their respective GDPs, the Greek government has historically spent more on their pension system than other European countries. In 2014, Greece spent around fourteen billion euros from the state budget on the pension system. This amount accounts for 7 (or so) percent of its annual GDP. Despite the increased levels of government spending on the pension policy, Greek workers were still expected to heavily contribute to their pensions. The combination of government involvement and worker contributions created a Bismarckian welfare state in which the focus was on income maintenance based on employee and employer contribution (instead of poverty prevention). The mixture of economic crisis and inefficient social redistribution concentrated on pensions has decimated Greece's ability to pursue other forms of social insurance. Greece spends 2% of its GDP on benefits such as housing, family, and poverty relief, all contributing to the crumbling standards of living in Greece.