Greece sees tourism growth yet rising graduate emigration

Eurostat data show that 47 % of Greek residents took at least one personal trip in 2024, well below the EU average of 65 %. Travel numbers rose 4.7 % year‑on‑year, with domestic trips up 5.5 % and foreign trips up 7.7 %, but Greece still ranks fifth‑lowest in participation. Greeks stayed an average of ten nights per domestic trip, the longest stay in the EU, and 46 % said they could not afford a week’s holiday away from home. Travel receipts represent 9.1 % of Greece’s GDP.

Meanwhile, a recent analysis reports that 13,900 more Greek university graduates aged 20‑64 left for EU countries in 2025 than in 2024, a 12.1 % increase in one year. Since 2000, 128,500 graduates have migrated, making them one of the three largest Greek diaspora groups. Their employment rate abroad is 85.9 %, considerably higher than in Greece. Overall, 386,100 Greeks aged 20‑64 emigrated to Europe by 2025, an increase of 30,300 in a single year.