Greece

In 2019, Western European construction recorded output of USD4,588 billion despite a slight slowdown in major economies. The COVID-19 crisis in 2020 and related uncertainty led to residential and commercial construction contracting. Rising…

The global urban consumer landscape is increasingly complex and difficult to navigate. Which cities should you choose for your consumer business expansion? To answer this and other questions, we are introducing the Euromonitor International Cities…

The briefing introduces the 2022 Electric Vehicle (EV) Readiness Index which has been produced for 37 countries globally. The index seeks to assess the readiness of each country across four key pillars: Market Maturity, Income and Spending,…

The presence of store cards remained negligible in Greece during 2022. No major interest in launching products in this category of the financial cards has been shown by any of the country’s financial cards issuers. In particular, the unfavourable…

Consumer mobility is evolving as urbanisation, sustainability and growing technological savviness are driving demand for travel supported by dynamic payment solutions. Euromonitor International introduces the Digital Payments in Mobility Index to…

Ongoing depopulation in Greece in 2021-2040 will be driven mainly by natural decrease as birth rates remain low. Ageing will affect consumer trends and add to pressure on state resources. Athens will remain the key consumer market, despite shrinking…

Greece’s business environment lags behind it regional peers, burdened by rigid labour market regulations, slow and inefficient judicial system, prevalent corruption, heavy taxation and weak financial system. The country boasts rather highly educated…

Due to high airport fees at Athens International Airport “Eleftherios Venizelos” (AIA), Ryanair shut down its Athens base in October 2022. The airline withdrew two aircraft between October 29th to March 31st, leading to a reduction of scheduled…

Given the strong increase in tourism flows, lodging, travel modes and foodservice had almost fully recovered to pre-pandemic levels by 2022, although this was not the case for intermediaries. Even though value sales in intermediaries posted a strong…

Retail value sales of lodging (destination) continued to post strong retail value growth in Greece, driven by luxury and upscale hotels, which have already recovered to pre-pandemic levels. Alongside the growth of luxury and upscale hotels, there has…

In 2023, inbound tourism is enjoying a strong recovery in Greece, with the number of trips expected to recover to pre-pandemic levels by the end of the year. There is much optimism, even though bookings in the first quarter were somewhat…

Tourism flows are showing a strong increase in 2023 on both a domestic and international level. Despite the impact of inflation on disposable incomes and travel prices increases, consumers are not willing to cut down on their spending as they seek to…

Upon the lifting of all COVID-19 related regulations, including the compulsory use of face masks, social distancing rules and compulsory self-isolation, there has been a surge in illness which has been a major contributor to sales growth for…

Inflation is a key factor influencing the consumer health market in Greece, with price hikes being seen across most categories. Even though increases in prices vary by brand, most products have been subject to hikes. This has not had the same effect…

In May 2022, Greece lifted all COVID-19 related regulations. This included the compulsory use of face masks and social distancing rules, and although use of face masks remains fairly high in Greece compared to other European countries, it appears…

Dermatologicals has seen demand weaken in the post-pandemic period. While certain COVID-19 related habits, such as the use of hand sanitisers, remain relevant and people in Greece continue to use them much more than they did in the past, this is a…

Digestive health has recovered its status as a key growth driver in dietary supplements, with probiotics amongst the best performers in the Greek market. Demand was growing rapidly prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, but the pandemic led to growth…

Within OTC digestive remedies, the penetration of herbal/traditional products is growing rapidly. This is because there is significant value growth potential for manufacturers as the premium positioning of herbal/traditional products allows for…

Unlike most other OTC categories, in which marketing activities targeted not only the pharmaceuticals community, but also consumers, this was not previously the case in eye care. Companies would reach out to doctors and to chemists/pharmacists in…

Herbal/traditional cough, cold and allergy (hay fever) remedies has posted very strong growth in 2022 and in 2023 as the category has benefited from the surge in respiratory illness that was seen in Greece in Q4 2022 and Q1 2023 in line with the…

The retail prices of all NRT smoking cessation aids product types have been subject to significant hikes in 2022 and 2023 and this has led to strong growth in value in those years. The penetration of NRT smoking cessation aids in volume terms remains…

The re-opening of schools and the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, such as compulsory use of face masks in schools, is leading to strong growth for multiple categories within paediatric consumer health. For example, sales of lice/anti-parasitic…

The key growth driver in sleep aids in terms of ingredients is melatonin. The variety and availability of products based on melatonin increased dramatically at the end of the review period. The launch of Procter & Gamble’s ZzzQuil Nature made a…

Alongside the re-opening of gyms and the increase in the number of people engaging in sporting activities since the pandemic being growth drivers for sports nutrition, the category also appears to be appealing to a different consumer group. Consumers…

Vitamin C and vitamin D have posted dramatic increases in sales since the onset of the pandemic. Consequently, in 2022, sales already started to show signs of decline due to maturity. Vitamin D, which is the largest category, witnessed losses in 2022…

The over-promising claims that weight loss supplements have been making through the years are affecting the category’s performance. Consumers have been losing their trust in the efficacy of weight loss supplements and this is affecting sales. Despite…

The wound care category has been subject to price hikes in 2022 and 2023 in the context of high rates of inflation and hikes in production and transport costs. Wound care is not subject to the same regulatory framework as other OTC products and,…

The low birth rate in Greece is a challenge for retail volume sales of baby food. While the price hikes in 2022 and 2023 meant that baby food is set to record a positive current retail value growth, parents are finding it difficult to afford. As…

Due to the increase in price points, general inflation, and consumers' lower disposable incomes, the demand for butter has decreased. Consumers have looked to make butter last longer, to purchase cheaper varieties or simply remove the product from…

Across the review period, innovation was strong on the cheese category. Until recently, Greek law mandated the pasteurisation of milk for health reasons. However, a new legislation framework across the review period allowed cheese production from raw…

Increasing product costs, rising energy prices, and inflation led to price rises across all dairy products in Greece. This has impacted consumer behaviour, hindered volume demand and limited purchases in line with reduced disposable incomes. There…

2022 was a challenging year for milk production due to high price points. In particular, fodder got much more expensive, and livestock farmers could not feed their animals, leading to a higher proportion of being slaughtered. As a result, the number…

The consumption of cream has decreased, with prices increasing, leading consumers to reduce their purchases. In addition to high price points, consumers have turned to healthier options, so they are looking for alternative creams that are better for…

Plant-based milk is rising in popularity; the consumer base is widening with a growing number of people shifting to plant-based diets for reasons of health and wellness, in addition to avoiding products with lactose. As seen with vegan cheese,…

Inflation and increased prices of milk resulted in price hikes in yoghurt. This led to consumers turning to private labels, being unable to afford branded options. As a result, private label gained a significant market share, occupying the second…

Athens and Larissa stand out as Greece’s most economically dynamic cities, with Larissa demonstrating the greatest potential for future economic expansion. However, Greek cities will face enduring challenges. In the short term, this includes a global…

Greece's per capita income is set to rise, driven by Later Lifers influencing luxury spending. Despite an increase in income inequality, it will remain high in global terms. Social class E will grow rapidly, while social class D will remain…

The number of households is set to decrease slightly in Greece over 2022-2027, with single person households becoming the leading household type. In 2022, household spending was affected by inflation, which stood at 9.6%, increasing living costs. The…

Although state finances are improving and political stability has returned, Greece continues to have an issue with corruption. Economic development is set to slow further, but inflation has also fallen markedly, but high unemployment remains a…

During the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020-2021, commercial charge cards experienced a significant downturn in sales. The lockdowns, decline in tourism (a key driver of the Greek economy), general reduction in business activities, and restrictions on…

In 2023, credit cards are experiencing growth in terms of the number of cards, volume, and value of transactions. After a prolonged period of recovery from the Greek financial crisis of the previous decade, credit cards have found a stable position…

Debit cards continue to dominate the Greek financial cards and payments landscape, showing further growth in 2023. They are growing in terms of the number of cards, volume and value of transactions, and increasingly accounting for smaller, everyday…

The Greek financial card and payments market experienced robust growth in 2022, fuelled by post-pandemic recovery and the impact of inflation. This growth trend persists into 2023, albeit at a slower pace, attributed to the positive economic outlook…

In 2023, open-loop pre-paid cards have seen a mild increase in the number of cards, transaction volume, and transaction value. This uptick is part of the general momentum in card transactions driven by the proliferation of digital wallets,…

In 2023, gross lending in the primary category of other personal lending is experiencing a slowdown in growth due to inflation and reduced disposable incomes. Rising prices, coupled with stagnant salaries, have instilled a sense of insecurity in…

The growth of gross lending in consumer lending for 2023 is moderate and slower than what was anticipated a year ago. Factors such as surging inflation, an escalating energy crisis exacerbated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine (with its effects…

A post-COVID-19 return to business travel and events such as christenings and weddings benefited apparel accessories in 2023, with a notable increase in volume sales of ties. Belts, too, are benefiting from a return to office work and socialising and…

Inflation and the cost of living crisis affected the performance of apparel and footwear in Greece in 2023, with price increases resulting in substantial current value growth across all categories. Volume sales increased, too, post-COVID-19; however,…

Inflation and regular price increases have significantly affected the baked goods category in 2023. Amid rising costs, bakeries suffered a significant drop in revenues, meaning price increases were essential as most players could not absorb the…

Breakfast cereals have witnessed strong price inflation in recent years and this trend remains prominent in 2023. Many Greeks are opting to make their own cereals instead of buying packaged cereals, guided by a plethora of easy recipes available…