Social security contributions 2026: The new reality for self-employed professionals and farmers
With the arrival of 2026, non-salaried insured workers in Greece—self-employed professionals, freelancers, and farmers—are facing the annual adjustment of their social security contributions. This year’s changes come with a key development that significantly limits the financial burden.
The most important news is not the increase itself, but the avoidance of a much steeper one. The planned linkage of contributions to ELSTAT’s Wage Change Index has been postponed to 2027. Had this new calculation method been applied in 2026, contributions would have risen by approximately 5.5%. Instead, the government maintained the current adjustment mechanism based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI), limiting the increase to 2.6%.
Without this postponement, the rise in contributions would have been unprecedented—and potentially prohibitive for timely payment.
Breakdown of the New Contributions
Self-Employed Professionals & Freelancers
For the vast majority insured under the 1st Insurance Category, the monthly contribution now stands at €251, up from €244.65.
At the top end, the 6th Insurance Category reaches €676.50 per month, reflecting an increase of €17.14.
Farmers will see their minimum monthly contribution increase to €149.50, from €145.63, while the 6th category rises to €405.00.
At the same time, contributions for health insurance, supplementary pension, and lump-sum benefits are increasing proportionally.
Choosing the Right Insurance Category
In practice, most professionals opt for the lowest insurance category in order to preserve liquidity. However, this choice carries long-term risks. Lower contributions today translate directly into lower pensions tomorrow.
For this reason, insured individuals—especially those in the final decade of their working life—are strongly advised to consider moving to the 3rd or 4th insurance category. A moderate increase in contributions today can significantly improve the replacement rate and the final pension amount.
It is worth noting that the deadline for selecting an insurance category for 2026 is January 30, 2026.
