Greek entrepreneurs remain cautiously optimistic and are planning to hire and invest, but they are concerned about the legal and regulatory framework, the shortage of skilled workers, and labor costs. These are some of the findings from the second edition of EY Greece’s entrepreneurship survey, the EY Entrepreneurship Barometer Greece 2026.
The survey was conducted between February 2 and March 9, 2026, among a sample of 167 Greek entrepreneurs, as part of a broader EY research program across 14 countries in Northern, Central and Southeastern Europe, and the wider region (Bulgaria, Denmark, Greece, Kazakhstan, Croatia, Malta, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Sweden, Turkey, and the Czech Republic).
Strong Interest in Innovation, Limited Budgets for Artificial Intelligence
Business owners in our country recognize the crucial role of innovation in the growth of their businesses and appear more willing to adopt modern technologies compared to other countries in the sample: 83% report increased use of AI and machine learning over the past twelve months, compared to 76% in the overall survey sample. Investments in artificial intelligence and other digital technologies remain limited, with three out of five entrepreneurs reporting that over the past three years they either invested up to €25,000 (39%) or made no such investment at all (20%) over the past three years. Nevertheless, the 8-percentage-point increase in the overall percentage (18%) of those who reported investing between €100,001 and €250,000 (8% up from 5% in 2025) and over €250,000 (10% up from 5% in 2025).
Caution Regarding the Business Climate
Compared to the previous year, participants from Greece appear less optimistic about the overall trajectory of the business environment. However, their level of optimism still exceeds the average of the countries that participated in the survey. At the same time, despite efforts to digitize the public sector, bureaucracy and the complexity of the regulatory environment (78%) emerge as the most significant obstacle to entrepreneurship in the country.
Intention to Invest Using Own Funds and Emphasis on Digital Transformation
Regarding their investment plans, Greek entrepreneurs express a greater willingness to invest over the next 12 months compared to entrepreneurs in the other countries surveyed. Their interest is focused primarily on short-term investments related to digital transformation, such as upgrades or new information systems and software applications (63%). Investment funding comes primarily from internal resources, with 66% of companies relying on the reinvestment of profits and equity.
Hiring is on a strong trajectory, but labor costs are a cause for concern
Although the outlook for employment growth remains more positive than the average for the countries participating in the survey, there is greater caution compared to 2025. The intention to hire more full-time employees continues to dominate (53%), while interest in working with external contractors is also on the rise, reaching 20% from 14% in 2025. Finding talent with the necessary skills is the main challenge when hiring employees for 69% of respondents, while labor costs and the ability to offer competitive compensation and benefits are cited as the most significant human resources challenge for 2026 by 52% (45% in 2025).
Commenting on the survey findings, George Papadimitriou, CEO of EY Greece, stated: “Business leaders in Greece now appear to be decisively moving from intention to action. In an environment shaped by the regulatory framework, inflationary cost pressures, and a shortage of talent, success depends increasingly on disciplined investments, operational efficiency, and the ability to translate strategic plans into actionable and consistent measures.”
Eftychia Kaselaki, Partner at EY Greece, Head of EY Private in Greece, and Head of Organization, Change, and People Consulting, noted: “The challenges and risks posed by today’s volatile global environment, combined with the need for our economy to transition to a new production model, leave no room for complacency among Greek businesses. Today, they are called upon to move even more aggressively toward their transformation and to invest in artificial intelligence and human intelligence, as well as in flexible structures that facilitate innovation, in order to ensure their long-term resilience.”
Read the full EY study on Greek entrepreneurship in 2026 here.