Trends of Mortality in Greece Prior to and During Its Current Financial Crisis (2009-2015).

Konstantinos Vardakas,Dimitra Lamprou,Matthew E Falagas,Dominiki Heliou,Margarita Kyriakidou,Katerina Apiranthiti,Dimitra Stratigopoulou,Georgia Binou,Eleni Giourmetaki,Spiridoula Almpani,Elena Mpaltzoglou

doi:10.5041/rmmj.10368

Abstract

ObjectivesTo study mortality changes in Greece prior to and during the financial crisis.Study designAnalysis of data by the Hellenic Statistical Authority (1955–2015).ResultsDuring the crisis, mortality increased from 9.76/1000 in 2009 to 10.52/1000 in 2012 and to 11.16/1000 in 2015, driven by an increase in the number of deaths and a decrease in the estimated population. The annual increase of the expected mortality accelerated during the crisis; in contrast, age-adjusted mortality continued to decrease up to 2014 and increased in 2015. The subpopulations that seemed to be affected more during the crisis were the elderly (especially those over 70 years), women, and citizens in southern Greece. The common denominator of all these subgroups was older age. Mortality due to heart diseases continued to decline at an accelerated pace; due to neoplasia continued to increase at an accelerated pace; and stroke mortality reversed (from decline to increment).ConclusionsThe increment of crude mortality during the financial crisis in Greece should be attributed to the increase in deaths, only in part due to the aging population, the reduction in births, and the increase in emigration that contracted the population.

Highlights

In 2007 Greece experienced its ninth year of recession (2009–2017)
Using data from the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT), we calculated crude mortality for the entire population and for subgroups according to gender, cause of death, age groups (0–19, 20–39, 40–55, 56–69, and 70 or older), and geographic regions (North and South Greece) for the period 2000–2015
The first decade of the twenty-first century was an exception for births only; mortality continued to increase

Summary

Introduction

In 2007 Greece experienced its ninth year of recession (2009–2017). Greece was never officially declared in default, several economic and social indices showed severe deterioration. Among others, restructuring of the hospital sector (by closing hospitals or cutting their budgets), reductions in salaries of the health professionals, reductions of the extent of coverage by instituting or increasing user charges for health services, reductions in absolute public health expenditure, and changes in the pharmaceutical market (drug shortages and delayed reimbursements to pharmacies despite lower prices of the expanding generic medication market) were observed.[2,3] According to data from the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT), in the year 2005, 317 hospitals and medical centers were functioning in Greece, while in 2016 this number was reduced to 280

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