Greece achieved a growth rate more than double that of the European Union in the first quarter of the year, according to data released by ELSTAT and Eurostat, government sources note.
Economic activity in Greece increased by 2% compared to the first three months of last year, while the EU’s gross domestic product grew by 0.7%.
According to the same sources, the difference on a quarterly basis was equally significant. Between the last quarter of 2025 and the first quarter of 2026, the Greek economy grew by 0.2%, while the EU saw its GDP decline by 0.1%.
A large part of the growth momentum in Greece came from the “surge” in investment, which rose by 12.1% compared to the first quarter of last year, sources from the ruling party emphasize. Gross fixed capital formation at constant prices, to offset the distortion caused by inflation, rose by more than €10 billion, reaching €9.46 billion at the end of March, compared to €8.44 billion a year ago.
A significant improvement was also noted in the performance of Greek trade. According to ELSTAT data, the growth rate of exports of goods and services stood at 2.4% and far exceeded the rise in imports (0.5%), a fact that led to a reduction in the trade deficit.
Also noteworthy is the continued increase in consumer spending, up 1% year-over-year, with a significant contribution from government spending, according to sources at the Maximos Mansion.
“The figures also reflect, to some extent, the resilience of the Greek economy, given that they include March, which was the first month of the conflict in the Middle East, and Greece, as well as all European countries, is partially exposed to the turmoil in the energy market.
Nevertheless, the growth rate in our country slowed relatively mildly, by 0.3 percentage points compared to the immediately preceding quarter, when GDP had increased by 2.3%. In contrast, the European economy suffered a significantly greater blow, with the decline amounting to 0.7 percentage points (from 1.4% to 0.7%)," government sources conclude.