Greece economic trends show regional disparities in GDP and tourism

Economic data from Eurostat reveals significant regional disparities in Greece's post-pandemic recovery. While 12 of the country's 13 regions have surpassed their 2019 GDP levels, Western Macedonia has experienced an 18% decline in real GDP compared to pre-pandemic figures. This contraction represents the second-largest decline in the entire European Union.

In contrast, the Attica region has demonstrated the strongest growth, with a real GDP increase of 11.3% compared to 2019, nearly double the EU average of 5.6%. To capitalize on this momentum, the Attica Region has announced a 17 million euro investment over the next two years to promote the area as the ‘Greater Athens Region’.

The tourism strategy aims to expand the destination's appeal beyond central Athens to include the Athenian Riviera, Piraeus, and the Saronic islands. This initiative follows a significant rise in travel receipts for Attica, which reached 5.84 billion euros in 2025, a nearly 23% increase from the previous year.