Unemployment in Greece in 2026
| Number of job seekers | % of the working population | % of the youth population (15-24 years) |
|---|---|---|
| 399,000 (-19,000) | 8.4 % | 17 % |
| Source: ESTAT - Last updated: 16 April, 2026 | ||
In the fourth quarter of 2025, there were in Greece 399,000 unemployed people, a decrease of -0.4 % compared to the previous period. They represent 8.4% of the active population, while the average unemployment rate in the European Union (27 countries) is 6%, a difference of 2.4 points.
| Category | EL (Greece) | CY (Cyprus) | EU27_2020 (European Union) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-Q1 | 11.4 | 6.9 | 10.1 |
| 2010-Q2 | 12.5 | 6.7 | 10.1 |
| 2010-Q3 | 13.4 | 6.1 | 10 |
| 2010-Q4 | 14.4 | 5.6 | 10 |
| 2011-Q1 | 15.7 | 6.9 | 9.9 |
| 2011-Q2 | 17 | 7.5 | 9.9 |
| 2011-Q3 | 18.8 | 8.1 | 10.1 |
| 2011-Q4 | 20.9 | 9.3 | 10.4 |
| 2012-Q1 | 22.4 | 10.3 | 10.7 |
| 2012-Q2 | 24.3 | 11.5 | 11 |
| 2012-Q3 | 25.9 | 12.4 | 11.2 |
| 2012-Q4 | 26.6 | 13.4 | 11.4 |
| 2013-Q1 | 27.4 | 15 | 11.7 |
| 2013-Q2 | 27.9 | 15.6 | 11.7 |
| 2013-Q3 | 28.1 | 16.4 | 11.5 |
| 2013-Q4 | 27.8 | 16.6 | 11.4 |
| 2014-Q1 | 27.3 | 16 | 11.4 |
| 2014-Q2 | 27 | 15.9 | 11 |
| 2014-Q3 | 26.4 | 16.2 | 10.9 |
| 2014-Q4 | 26 | 16.6 | 10.8 |
| 2015-Q1 | 25.7 | 16.5 | 10.6 |
| 2015-Q2 | 25 | 15.1 | 10.3 |
| 2015-Q3 | 24.8 | 14.8 | 10 |
| 2015-Q4 | 24.3 | 13.2 | 9.9 |
| 2016-Q1 | 24.2 | 13.1 | 9.6 |
| 2016-Q2 | 23.9 | 12.7 | 9.4 |
| 2016-Q3 | 23.8 | 13.1 | 9.1 |
| 2016-Q4 | 23.5 | 13.1 | 8.9 |
| 2017-Q1 | 22.9 | 12.4 | 8.7 |
| 2017-Q2 | 22.1 | 11.4 | 8.3 |
| 2017-Q3 | 21.3 | 10.3 | 8.2 |
| 2017-Q4 | 21.2 | 10.3 | 7.9 |
| 2018-Q1 | 20.6 | 9.7 | 7.7 |
| 2018-Q2 | 19.9 | 7.9 | 7.5 |
| 2018-Q3 | 19.5 | 8.2 | 7.2 |
| 2018-Q4 | 19 | 7.9 | 7.2 |
| 2019-Q1 | 19 | 7.9 | 7 |
| 2019-Q2 | 17.7 | 7 | 6.8 |
| 2019-Q3 | 17.6 | 7.1 | 6.8 |
| 2019-Q4 | 17.1 | 6.6 | 6.7 |
| 2020-Q1 | 16.8 | 6.8 | 6.6 |
| 2020-Q2 | 19.3 | 7.1 | 7 |
| 2020-Q3 | 17.2 | 8.2 | 7.9 |
| 2020-Q4 | 17.3 | 8.2 | 7.5 |
| 2021-Q1 | 16.5 | 7.8 | 7.5 |
| 2021-Q2 | 15.6 | 7.9 | 7.3 |
| 2021-Q3 | 13.9 | 6.6 | 6.9 |
| 2021-Q4 | 13.1 | 6.4 | 6.5 |
| 2022-Q1 | 13.2 | 5.9 | 6.2 |
| 2022-Q2 | 12.4 | 6.4 | 6.2 |
| 2022-Q3 | 12.3 | 6.3 | 6.2 |
| 2022-Q4 | 11.9 | 6.6 | 6.1 |
| 2023-Q1 | 11.2 | 6.1 | 6.1 |
| 2023-Q2 | 11.3 | 5.9 | 6 |
| 2023-Q3 | 11.2 | 5.7 | 6.1 |
| 2023-Q4 | 10.6 | 5.6 | 6.1 |
| 2024-Q1 | 11.4 | 5.3 | 6.1 |
| 2024-Q2 | 10 | 4.9 | 6 |
| 2024-Q3 | 9.5 | 4.6 | 5.9 |
| 2024-Q4 | 9.6 | 4.7 | 5.8 |
| 2025-Q1 | 9.5 | 4.6 | 6 |
| 2025-Q2 | 8.9 | 4.5 | 6 |
| 2025-Q3 | 8.8 | 4.2 | 6.1 |
| 2025-Q4 | 8.4 | 4.1 | 6 |
Eurostat defines an unemployed person as: any person aged 15 to 74 (16 to 74 in Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom) who was not employed during the reference week, had actively sought work in the past four weeks and was ready to start work immediately or within two weeks.