More than half of taxpayers declare annual income below €10,000

More than half of taxpayers in Greece declare annual taxable income of less than €10,000, while a small group of high-income individuals accounts for a significant share of the country's declared wealth, according to detailed tax statistics published by the Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE).

The figures, covering incomes earned in 2024 and declared in 2025, reveal substantial income disparities and significant differences in the sources of earnings across social and economic groups.

According to data reported by efsyn.gr, total declared income reached €115.93 billion, while assessed taxes amounted to approximately €13.87 billion.

The statistics cover 6.89 million tax returns, while the detailed individual income distribution includes more than 9.15 million taxpayers.

52.1% declare less than €10,000

The most striking finding is the concentration of taxpayers in the lowest income brackets.

A total of 4,769,821 taxpayers, representing 52.1% of the population included in the individual income distribution, declared annual taxable income below €10,000.

This corresponds to an average of approximately €833 per month when calculated over 12 months.

Of this group, 2,465,533 are employees and pensioners, representing 51.6% of taxpayers in the category. The employment status of the remaining 2,304,288 individuals is not specified in the AADE breakdown.

The group also includes 1,030,763 taxpayers with zero taxable income.

Salaries remain the main source of declared income

Income from employment and maritime work accounts for the largest share of declared earnings nationwide.

These sources generated €82.93 billion, representing approximately 71.5% of total declared income.

The other main income categories were:

• Business activity: €10.99 billion.
• Dividends, interest, royalties and capital gains: €10.80 billion.
• Rental and other property income: €9.28 billion.

The figures show that salaries dominate the overall income structure, although the picture changes considerably among the wealthiest taxpayers.

1,233 taxpayers declare €4.92 billion

At the top of the income distribution, 1,233 individuals declared annual taxable income of at least €900,000.

Their combined declared income reached approximately €4.92 billion.

Significantly, around €4.51 billion came from dividends, interest, royalties and capital gains, accounting for almost 92% of their total income.

By comparison, income from employment amounted to approximately €304.8 million, while business income reached €74.6 million. Property income accounted for another €28.3 million.

The figures highlight the different income structures between ordinary taxpayers and the wealthiest groups, with investment returns and capital ownership playing a much greater role at the top of the income scale.

At the household level, AADE recorded 1,906 tax returns declaring annual income above €900,000.

Their combined declared income exceeded €5.12 billion, with approximately €501 million in corresponding tax liabilities.

Income inequality reflected in the figures

The distribution of declared income highlights the significant concentration of wealth among a relatively small proportion of taxpayers.

According to the statistics:

• The 52.1% of taxpayers earning less than €10,000 account for just 14% of total declared income, or €16.24 billion.
• A total of 7,728,402 taxpayers, representing 84.4% of the population covered by the distribution, declare annual income of up to €20,000. Their combined income reaches €59.10 billion, or 50.98% of the total.
• Just 30,085 taxpayers, representing approximately 0.33% of the total, declare incomes exceeding €100,000. Their combined earnings amount to €12.7 billion, nearly 11% of all declared income.

Within this group, the 1,233 individuals earning more than €900,000 account for approximately €4.92 billion, equivalent to 4.24% of total declared income nationwide.

The comparison illustrates how a relatively small group of high-income individuals accounts for a share of declared earnings approaching that of millions of taxpayers in the lowest income bracket.

Living-expense presumptions affect 1.2 million taxpayers

The AADE figures also reveal the impact of Greece's living-expense presumptions, known as tekmiria, which allow tax authorities to estimate taxable income based on assets and living costs.

Approximately 1.2 million taxpayers were affected by these provisions and taxed on an estimated additional income of €3.88 billion.

Employees and pensioners accounted for the largest number of affected taxpayers, while individuals classified as income earners recorded the highest total increase in taxable income.

The breakdown was as follows:

• Employees: 433,697 taxpayers.
• Pensioners: 350,004.
• Income earners: 296,284.
• Self-employed professionals: 69,814.
• Farmers: 59,292.

In terms of additional taxable income attributed to living-expense presumptions, income earners recorded the largest amount, at €1.415 billion.

Employees followed with €1.045 billion, while pensioners recorded €962.08 million. Self-employed professionals accounted for €243.38 million and farmers for €215.94 million.

A divided income landscape

The latest tax figures paint a picture of a Greek economy in which salaries remain the dominant source of declared income, but substantial wealth is concentrated among a small group whose earnings largely derive from capital and investments.

With more than half of taxpayers declaring less than €10,000 annually and the wealthiest 0.33% accounting for nearly 11% of declared income, the statistics underline the scale of income disparities and raise further questions about the distribution of wealth and the effectiveness of tax collection in Greece.

Source: efsyn.gr, based on AADE tax statistics for income earned in 2024 and declared in 2025.