Greece

Economy & industry overview

Greece is a small open economy in southeastern Europe, a member of the European Union and eurozone. Tourism, shipping, and banking are the dominant industries, with shipping alone accounting for a significant share of services exports. The economy recovered strongly from its prolonged post-2010 debt crisis, posting solid real GDP growth above 2 percent in 2023 and 2024 supported by EU recovery fund investment and a rebound in private consumption. Greece regained investment-grade sovereign credit ratings and its public debt-to-GDP ratio has been declining from a peak above 200 percent. The Athens Exchange is dominated by the financial sector, with the four major commercial banks representing the largest share of total market capitalisation.

Key sectors

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Macro

GDP nominal, USD	$256.24B
GDP growth real, annual	2.3%
Inflation annual	2.7%
Population people	10.4M
GDP per capita USD	$24,688
Market cap total listed, USD	$138.56B
Market cap / GDP	54.1%
Unemployment	10.1%
Listed companies	166
Exchange	Euronext Athens (formerly Athens Stock Exchange, commonly referred to as ATHEX). (ATHEX)

Primary data year: 2024. Sources: World Bank World Development Indicators, IMF World Economic Outlook (October 2024), IMF Country Report No. 25/85 Greece, MSCI Market Classification Review 2025, MSCI Press Release March 31 2026 (Greece reclassification announcement), Hellenic Exchanges ATHEX Annual Financial Report 2025, ATHEXGROUP Investor Relations Presentations 2025, Euronext Athens official website, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis FRED (World Bank GDP series), GreekReporter.com top companies by market cap May 2025, Yahoo Finance FTSE Athex Large Cap components. Individual figures may cover different reference periods — for example a fiscal year, or an estimate for the current year — and the overview above states these where known.

Local exchange & access

Exchange	Euronext Athens (formerly Athens Stock Exchange, commonly referred to as ATHEX).
Code	ATHEX
Website	athens.euronext.com
Currency	EUR

Local broker access

International retail investors can access Greek-listed equities through major European online brokers that provide access to Euronext Athens, including Interactive Brokers, DEGIRO, and Saxo Bank. Several Greek-listed companies also have US ADR programmes. US-based investors may gain diversified exposure through US-listed ETFs focused on Greece or the broader southeastern European region. Settlement on Euronext Athens follows a T+2 cycle under the central securities depository operated by ATHEXClear.

Global brokers with foreign-market access

• Interactive Brokers — Direct access to 90+ markets worldwide, including many emerging exchanges.
• Saxo Bank — Multi-market access across Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
• Charles Schwab (Global) — Foreign ordinary shares on select markets; US-listed ADRs and ETFs.
• Fidelity International Trading — International stock trading on a number of developed and emerging markets.

Listed for convenience only. Not a recommendation. Available markets, fees and onboarding rules differ by broker and by your country of residence.

Relocation & residency

Foreign-investor access

Greece offers a non-domicile tax regime for foreign-source income, a flat tax option for high-net-worth individuals relocating to Greece (a lump-sum annual tax of EUR 100,000 on foreign income), and a separate 7 percent flat tax for foreign pensioners who transfer their tax residence to eligible Greek municipalities. EU citizens may reside and work freely; non-EU nationals generally require a visa or the Golden Visa residence permit. The cost of living is moderate by Western European standards, and English is widely spoken in urban and tourist areas.