Payment delays in Greece are worsening due to adverse geopolitical conditions, high energy costs, fragile demand, and high interest rates, with nearly two-thirds of B2B sales made on credit and approximately one-third of B2B invoices becoming overdue, compared to one-quarter in Western Europe.
According to Atradius’ latest B2B Payment Practices Barometer for Greece in 2026, fewer and fewer companies are receiving payment within one month of invoicing; more are waiting up to two months; and one in two companies reports that the risk of non-payment by customers limits cash availability for daily needs.
Additionally, more Greek businesses report write-offs of up to 1% of B2B invoices, a rate higher than in Western Europe, with the majority of them not expecting a significant change in B2B payment behavior in the short term, as trading conditions remain challenging. This view largely reflects the climate in Western Europe as well.
High interest rates and fragile demand are putting pressure on payment speeds, while significantly more businesses in Greece, compared to Western Europe, expect an increase in the risk of customer insolvency in the coming months. This difference points to a weaker payment environment in Greece, with greater liquidity pressures on businesses.
According to Gerasimos Tzeis, Managing Director of Atradius Greece, Cyprus, Malta & Romania,“Greece remains particularly exposed to any slowdown in global trade andto geopolitical turmoil. Although these risks also concern WesternEurope, the concern is more acute in Greece due to limited liquidity and greater sensitivity to changes in economic activity. The structural weaknesses of the domestic market, combined with the risk of prolonged disruptions in international trade and Greece’s heavy dependence on crude oil imports, are expected to make the country’s B2B payment environment more fragile and less predictable as the year progresses.”
What the Barometer Revealed
More specifically, the key findings from Atradius’s Barometer of B2B Payment Practices in Greece, for which data was collected between the end of the first quarter and the beginning of the second quarter of 2026, remaining open for a few days after the onset of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, are as follows:
In Greece, delays in B2B payments are due to:
- 66% report customer liquidity issues
- 26% cite delays due to banking transactions
- 12% due to delays caused by internal approvals
- 12% due to issues with electronic invoicing and payment platforms
The frequency of defaults among B2B customers was recorded as follows:
- 70% of participants had less than 1% bad debt
- 16% of participants reported bad debt on 1% to 2% of transactions
- 9% of participants experienced bad debt on 2% to 5% of transactions
- 5% of participants experienced bad debt on more than 5% of transactions
The degree of exposure of Greek businesses to late invoice payments over a 12-month period was recorded as follows:
- 19% of survey participants received late payments on 61% to 100% of their invoices
- 23% of respondents received late payments on 31% to 60% of their invoices
- 36% of respondents received 1% to 30% of their invoices late
- Only 23% of respondents had zero late invoice payments
The duration of payment delays was found to be as follows:
- 66% of businesses experienced payment delays of less than 30 days
- 20% of respondents experienced payment delays of 31 to 60 days
- 10% of companies experienced payment delays of 61 to 90 days
- 4% of businesses experienced payment delays of more than 90 days.
But how did payment delays affect business operations? According to a survey by Atradius , the following was found:
- For 51% of respondents, there was a contraction in liquidity margins.
- 25% experienced reduced investment activity
- 20% had difficulty managing cash flow
- 16% faced delays in paying suppliers
Additionally, the three most significant risks expected to affect B2B payments in Greece over the next 12 months are the economic slowdown, intensifying pressure on operating costs, and rising borrowing costs.
Finally, it is noted that for 42% of Greek businesses, the risk of insolvency over the next 12 months remains high; 45% expect an increase, while for 13% of them, the business environment is unclear.