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Greece: Housing crisis, AI adoption and digital investment

Updated 5 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

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2026-08-15 12:29 UTC → 2026-08-31 08:54 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Housing affordability remains a central strain in Greece. Diesel subsidies have eased transport‑related inflation, yet consumer‑price inflation stayed at 4.9 % in May 2026, well above the euro‑area average. Vacant homes now account for 34.5 % of the 2.2 million dwellings, long‑term rentals have fallen more than 10 % since 2011 and house prices have risen up to 96 % since 2018, pushing rent to about 35 % of disposable income. The labour market is being reshaped by artificial intelligence. An ECB study of 6,000 Eurozone enterprises found that 70% of Greek businesses use AI, with 12% reporting significant use—well above the Eurozone mean of 7%. Among Greek industrial firms with over 50 employees, 66% had invested in AI by June 2025, the highest share among surveyed countries. Companies expect to allocate roughly 10% of their 2026 investment budgets to AI to improve business processes and supply‑chain efficiency, though skill shortages and data-protection concerns persist. To support this transition, Greece is targeting over €50 billion in data center investments over the next decade, driven by demand from providers like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft. ~~Deputy Minister Stavros Kalafatis reported that coordinated policies have created 20,000 high‑skill~~ This growth positions ~~over seven years, noting that 86% of newly appointed PhD lecturers stay in~~ the ~~country.~~ country as a significant digital services hub, with additional interest from infrastructure companies like EXA Infrastructure. While AI offers productivity gains, it is driving a shift toward lifelong ~~learning and adaptability.~~ learning. The Deloitte ‘CEO Business Barometer 2026’ indicates that Greek CEOs ~~currently~~ prioritize cost optimization and efficiency, using AI primarily for internal ~~optimization.~~ optimization, though many lack clear criteria to measure AI performance. To address skill gaps, the Arcadia Chamber of Commerce is launching workshops to teach SMEs how to use AI for productivity in sectors like tourism, manufacturing, and agriculture. In the shipping sector, leaders are moving toward proactive, data-driven strategies using AI for fuel optimization and predictive maintenance to manage geopolitical and supply chain uncertainties.

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