A two-speed Greece: Regional gaps persist despite economic growth
New 2024 data from Eurostat highlight sharp economic disparities among Greece’s regions, despite national growth of 2.3%—more than double the EU average of 1%.
Five of the country’s 12 regions report GDP per capita (in purchasing power standards) below 50% of the EU average. The weakest performer is the North Aegean at 42.1%, ranking among the poorest regions in the EU. Also below the 50% threshold are Epirus (44.5%), Eastern Macedonia and Thrace (44.6%), Western Macedonia (48%) and Western Greece (48.9%).
At the other end, Attica remains the country’s wealthiest region, reaching 95.5% of the EU average. It is followed by the South Aegean (69.8%), Central Greece (59.9%), Crete (59.6%) and Peloponnese (56.9%).
Encouragingly, no Greek region recorded a decline in 2024. The strongest growth was seen in Central Greece (5.5%), while most other regions posted moderate gains.
Across the EU, the lowest GDP per capita levels were recorded in Mayotte (30.1%) and French Guiana (40.8%). At the top sit Eastern and Midland (268.3%) and Luxembourg (244.6%).
The figures underline a persistent challenge for Greece: sustaining national growth while ensuring a more balanced regional recovery.
