Draconian austerity measures instituted as a result of the Greek debt crisis have taken a dramatic toll on male suicides, according to a new study.
According to a new study by researchers at the University of Portsmouth in the UK, 551 men killed themselves “solely because of fiscal austerity” between 2009 and 2010.
“That is almost one person per day,” stressed Greek economic lecturer Nikolaos Antonakakis, one of the paper’s co-authors. Researchers have also disclosed that there was no obvious rise in female suicide rates.
The survey showed that men between 45 and 89 were the most vulnerable age group during the severe economic conditions. Austerity measures caused a dramatic drop in their salaries and pensions and resulted in the highest suicide rates.
“In 2010 there were around two suicides in Greece per day, it appears 50 percent were due to austerity,” said Antonakakis.
He said he had been focused on a potential link between austerity and suicide rates after he had seen numerous media reports of his compatriots committing suicide. Antonakakis and his co-author, economics professor Alan Collins, were very surprised when they found out that numerous suicides appeared clearly linked to austerity.
Greece adopted austerity measures to combat massive debt and a huge budget deficit. Since 2010, significant cuts to the national health programs, education and local government budgets as well as wages and pensions were approved by the Greek leadership.