World issues

Greece

1. 75% of Greek pensioners opt for early retirement before age 61. “In the public sector, 7.91% of pensioners retire between the ages of 26 and 50, 23.64% between 51 and 55, and 43.53% between 56 and 61. In IKA, 4.44% of pensioners retire between the ages of 26 and 50, 12.83% retire between 51 and 55, and 58.61% retire between 56 and 61. Meanwhile, in the so-called healthy funds, 91.6% of people retire before the national retirement age limit,” Vroutsis said. Dec 2014.
2. Reliance on public funds is a central problem. The article with some different calculations and graphs. Aug 2015.
3. Countries cannot overspend and borrow forever. May 2010.
4. Greece as a precautionary tale of the failed welfare state. Sept 2012, free pdf.
5. European social spending comparisons. Requires free account. :( Nov 2014.
6. 8 Reasons Greece is Imploding right now. Political favors and corruption. Even dead people in Greece receive welfare. Greeks retire at about age 45. 75% of Greeks retire before age 61. Greek unions define stubborn. Pensions are too costly. July 2015.
7. Greece only has 52% of the workforce working. But Puerto Rico is worse off. July 2015.
8. Graph, Greek public debt as percent of GDP, 2006-2013.