The period in question is a crucial one for Greek society, which was sorely tried by socio-political change, population movements, refugee deportations and a long war.

The living conditions of the majority of the population were harsh both in the city and the countryside. There were many who in the 1900s took to emmigration, with America being the primary destination, while many who looked for a better life moved towards urban centres, the population of which considerably increased. Besides this were the waves of refugees who fled into Greece having suffered persecutions in their home countries.
The lower classes in the cities suffered from severe economic deprivation and their plight was aggravated by events such as war, mobilization, famine or the Allied blockade of 1916-17, especially during the National Schism with the blockade of southern Greece by French and British forces. Famine hit all the southern areas and the capital in particular, where the population was fed by soup kitchen, while the black market thrived.
Wages were very low despite an increase after the ineffective strikes in 1919 and 1920, because inflation decreased their purchasing power. The problem of housing was acute as the movements of refugees to Greece increased the population, while no new houses were built. Patchy self-housing was the solution. On the other hand, the lack of basic services of common benefit such as water supplies and sewage systems characterized popular quarters.
The high mortality rate of this period hit mostly these classes and was the result of lack of care for public health and sanitation, bad nutrition and adverse living conditions.

Popular protest took the form of demonstrations and strikes and, as the labour movement developed in this period, the labour party rallied and coordinated its struggle for the improvement of living conditions.