Greece today: GDP growth for 2025 is confirmed at 2.1%, tourism apprenticeship applications close on 18 October, and builders strike in Piraeus on 30 October

Did Greece's economy grow 2.1% in 2025?

Yes. ΕΛΣΤΑΤ (Ελληνική Στατιστική Αρχή, Elliniki Statistiki Archi), the Hellenic Statistical Authority, said on 16 October 2026 that Greece's GDP grew 2.1% in volume terms in 2025, the same figure as its first estimate in March 2026.³ΕΛ⁴⁵⁶ Investment (gross fixed capital formation) rose 8.0% in 2025, after 7.6% in 2024.³ Final consumption spending rose 1.8%, with households up 1.7% and general government up 2.1%.³ Exports of goods and services rose 0.4% in 2025, and imports fell 1.7%, according to ELSTAT.³ In current prices, 2025 GDP was €249,726 million, about €250 billion, up 5.1% from €237,706 million in 2024.³ ELSTAT says the revision of its 2025 figures since March comes mainly from the 2025 Household Budget Survey and updated government data on public consumption, subsidies and taxes on products.³⁴⁵ It also revised its figures for 2022 to 2024; the 2023 revision mainly reflects structural business statistics, and growth now stands at 2.0% for 2023 and 2.1% for 2024.³

Greek inflation was 5.1% in September 2026, Eurostat's final figures show

Eurostat, the EU's statistics office, said in its final figures on 16 October 2026 that annual inflation in Greece on the harmonised EU measure (HICP) was 5.1% in September 2026, up from 3.7% in August 2026 and 1.8% in September 2025.¹ Euro-area inflation was 3.8% in September 2026, unchanged from the flash estimate of 2 October and up from 3.2% in August.¹ Greece's rate was 1.3 percentage points above the euro area's, by our calculation.¹ The highest rates were in Romania (6.5%), Lithuania (6.1%) and Bulgaria (5.6%).¹ ELSTAT's national consumer price index, a different measure, shows 5.0% for September 2026.² Our September inflation analysis explains what drove the rise.

Paid tourism apprenticeships: apply by Sunday 18 October 2026

ΔΥΠΑ (Δημόσια Υπηρεσία Απασχόλησης, Dimosia Ypiresia Apascholisis), the public employment service, takes online applications until Sunday 18 October 2026 at 23:59 for paid apprenticeships at its seven ΠΕΠΑΣ (Πειραματικές Επαγγελματικές Σχολές, Peiramatikes Epangelmatikes Scholes), experimental vocational schools for tourism and hospitality.⁷⁸ This date is already an extension, Newsbomb reported on 21 September 2026.⁹ Applicants must be 18 or over and hold at least a lower-secondary (Γυμνάσιο, Gymnasio) certificate or an equivalent qualification; the hotel-reception course also requires a B2 certificate in English, French or German.⁷⁸ The courses are hotel receptionist, cook and catering technician, at schools in Athens, Thessaloniki, Corfu, Heraklion, Mytilene, Patras and Rhodes.⁷ Classes run from November to April, followed by a workplace apprenticeship in four- and five-star hotels from May to October.⁷ Apprentices are paid 95% of the statutory minimum daily wage for a manual worker, which ΔΥΠΑ puts at €39.04 a day; those who qualify also get €240 a month for housing and €9 a day for meals.⁷⁸ Applications are made on gov.gr with TAXISnet credentials, under Εκπαίδευση → Εγγραφή σε σχολείο → Εγγραφή σε Πειραματική Επαγγελματική Σχολή της ΔΥΠΑ (Education → School enrolment → Enrolment in a ΔΥΠΑ experimental vocational school).⁷⁸

Builders strike in Piraeus on 30 October 2026

The Συνδικάτο Οικοδόμων Αθήνας (Syndikato Oikodomon Athinas), the Athens builders' union, says it will strike in Piraeus on Friday 30 October 2026, which it describes as an international day of action by workers at ports.¹⁰ The union says the strike covers builders on Piraeus building sites, and that its rally starts at 10:00 at Πλατεία Θεάτρου (Plateia Theatrou), the Municipal Theatre square in Piraeus.¹⁰ The statement also sets out the union's wider demands, among them crediting missing social-insurance stamps, regularising migrant workers, a new collective agreement and lower taxes on fuel and everyday goods.¹⁰ The day's slogan is «δεν δουλεύουμε για τον πόλεμο» ("we don't work for war").¹⁰ The union's statement does not say how long the strike lasts.¹⁰

What changes for street-market stall-holders?

The Υπουργείο Ανάπτυξης (Ypourgeio Anaptyxis), the Ministry of Development, issued circular 87954 on 15 October 2026 explaining to municipalities and regions how to apply the street-trading law, Law 4849/2021, as amended by Law 5297/2026, at λαϊκές αγορές (laikes agores), the street markets.¹¹¹² The circular is signed by Napoleon Maravegias, General Secretary of Commerce.¹¹ Up to 10% of each market's stalls can go to producer-sellers for seasonal needs, and a single stall can pass in turn to several producers for up to six months each.¹¹¹² Moves can only be to vacant stalls; when several sellers want the same one, an electronic draw on ΟΠΣΑΑ, the online system for licensing and managing street trading, decides.¹¹¹² A licence holder who does not turn up at an assigned stall for 20 days in a year is treated as having given it up.¹¹ΕΛ¹² Paper licences are not renewed when they expire but converted into digital ones, provided the supporting documents are still valid, and the authority issues a certificate so the seller can keep trading in the meantime.¹¹¹² Rounds to move or improve a stall last one month and close on 24 March and 23 September each year.¹¹ The circular clarifies procedures under the existing law; it is not a new law.¹¹