Nearly Half of Greeks Can’t Afford a Week’s Vacation, Eurostat Finds
Nearly half of Greeks cannot afford seven consecutive days of vacation, according to updated Eurostat data released June 9. The figure stands at 46.6%, placing Greece second in the EU, behind only Romania at 61.4%. The EU average is 27.5%, meaning Greece's rate is nearly double the European norm.
The data comes alongside a separate survey by the Greek Retail and Consumer Goods Research Institute (IELKA), which found that one in two Greeks does not plan to take any vacation at all this summer, including stays at a friend's or relative's home. Of those who do manage to get away, 80% are choosing the cheapest possible option, ideally a privately owned holiday house, to cut costs as much as possible.
Among Greeks living at or near the poverty line, 82.5% cannot afford a paid week away — the second highest rate in the EU after Romania.
Vacation durations are shrinking too. Forty-two percent of Greeks who do take a break will keep it to four to seven days at most, while 8% will manage only a one to three day trip. Just 29% expect to spend more than a week away, and only 20% can take a month or longer.
The hardship is sharpest among certain groups. Among Greeks living at or near the poverty line, 82.5% cannot afford a paid week away, the second highest rate in the EU after Romania. Retirees are hit hardest among all demographics at 64.2%, followed by single-parent households at 61.6%.
The trend is also moving in the wrong direction. According to the article, vacation poverty in Greece has been consistently high and has been rising over the past three years, even as tourist destinations across the country remain visibly packed during peak summer weeks, largely filled by a mix of higher-income Greeks and a growing wave of foreign visitors.
The Eurostat measure specifically tracks inability to afford seven consecutive paid nights away from home in conventional tourist accommodation, which some analysts argue understates actual leisure activity. The IELKA survey challenges that objection directly, showing that half of Greeks will not travel anywhere at all this summer.
