Greek households’ total annual spending on groceries reached about €25.7bn, according to an analysis by the Institute of Retail Consumer Goods Research (IELKA) to mark Food Day 2026 on 16 October.
The analysis is based on the latest data from the ELSTAT Household Budget Survey and examines how purchases changed between 2008 and 2025.
Of the total, about €18.1bn was spent on food, €1bn on non-alcoholic drinks and €1.6bn on alcoholic drinks. Of non-food spending, about €1.7bn went on household care products and €2.3bn on personal care products.
The estimate covers only spending by Greek households and excludes purchases by the roughly 40 million foreign visitors to the country. An initial estimate puts this additional spending at more than €1.5bn.
How spending changed in 2025
Total annual spending per person stood at €9,216 in 2025, up 5.5% on 2024. Per capita spending on groceries reached €2,433, a smaller increase of 3.9%.
Spending on food rose by 4.1%, on non-alcoholic drinks by 3.6% and on alcoholic drinks by 8.1%. Among non-food items, spending on household care products increased by 8.7%, while spending on personal care products fell by 2.9%.
The increase in grocery spending was smaller than both the rise in total consumer spending and the increase in net earnings for the two example households examined in the analysis.
Net earnings for a single person with no children and an income equal to 100% of average earnings rose by 7.3% in 2025. For a couple with two earners and two children, with both partners earning 100% of average earnings, the increase reached 9.4%.
Meanwhile, larger increases were recorded in other key household budget categories. Spending on housing rose by 8.3%, rent by 14.4% and dining out by 6.1%.
How spending has changed since 2008
IELKA’s analysis records a significant reshaping of consumer spending over the past 17 years. Total annual spending per person fell from €9,518 in 2008 to a low of €6,267 in 2020, before recovering to €9,216 in 2025. Despite the recovery, it has not returned to its 2008 level in nominal terms.
Individual categories followed different paths. Spending on food and non-alcoholic drinks proved more resilient during the economic crisis and has risen in recent years. Meanwhile, spending on housing and dining out increased significantly after 2020 and the pandemic.
In 2025, total household spending was about 3% lower than in 2008, while spending on food and non-alcoholic drinks was about 20% higher. Electricity spending was more than twice its 2008 level, while rents had risen by 36%. By contrast, total spending on fuel remained close to its level at the start of the period.
The shares of individual categories in the household budget have also changed. The proportion spent on food and non-alcoholic drinks rose during the economic crisis, reaching 23.1% in 2020, up from 16.4% in 2008. It subsequently declined, standing at 20.4% in 2025, compared with 20.7% in both 2023 and 2024.
Since 2012, except during the pandemic, food spending has accounted for about 20%-21% of total spending, despite price rises.
Housing, by contrast, now accounts for 14.7% of total spending, up from 11.8% in 2008 and 14.1% in 2023. Dining out has also surpassed pre-pandemic levels, reaching 10.7% in 2025.
How the food basket is changing
Purchases show significant changes in the composition of Greek households’ food baskets. A comparison of 2025 with 2008 and 2015 highlights differing trends across product categories.
Among major sources of carbohydrates, the quantity of bread and bakery products bought fell by 12.3% compared with 2008. By contrast, purchases of cereals rose by 32.3% and pasta by 10.3%, pointing to a shift in the composition of purchases rather than a uniform move away from carbohydrates.
Among animal proteins, beef purchases fell by 29.2% compared with 2008, processed meat by 35.4%, fish by 14.6% and seafood by 37.2%. By contrast, poultry purchases rose by 31.9%, reaching 16.9kg per person a year.
Purchases of full-fat fresh milk fell by 42.5% and those of preserved milk by 60%. By contrast, purchases of low-fat milk rose by 38% and yoghurt by 31%, while plant-based milks have also entered the market. Egg purchases recorded a particularly sharp increase, rising by 66.6% compared with 2008.
Among fats and oils, the quantity of olive oil bought fell by 34.8% compared with 2008 and by 40.2% compared with 2015. IELKA notes that this trend should be considered alongside long-term changes in prices and consumer habits, and cannot be attributed to any single factor.
Fruit purchases fell by 8.9% compared with 2008, while vegetable purchases were broadly stable, up 1%. Purchases of pulses rose by 23.5% and nuts by 11%, while potato purchases fell by 24.2%.
Among sweets and ready-made foods, sugar purchases fell by 53.5% compared with 2008. By contrast, purchases of honey and jam rose by 68.9%, chocolate by 9.3% and ice cream by 20.2%.
Ready-meal purchases rose particularly sharply, from 0.24kg per person in 2015 to 3.34kg in 2025, reflecting a shift towards more convenient and quicker options.
What the calorie estimate shows
IELKA also assessed the calorie content of purchased quantities, using indicative average calorie values for each product category. Purchases in these categories represented about 1,915 calories a day per person in 2025, compared with 2,149 in 2015 and 2,210 in 2008. This represents a fall of 13.3% compared with 2008 and 10.9% compared with 2015.
However, the finding should not be interpreted as an equivalent fall in the population’s actual calorie intake. The Household Budget Survey records food purchases and supplies, not the actual consumption of each person. Nor does it capture food waste, eating outside the home or all possible sources of calorie intake in the same way.
The estimate therefore serves mainly as an indicator of changes in the composition and quantities of food entering households, rather than a measure of Greeks’ actual nutritional or calorie intake.
The decline in the indicator is mainly due to categories with a significant calorie contribution, such as bread and bakery products, olive oil, sugar, cheese and some meat categories. By contrast, the contribution of poultry, yoghurt, eggs and ready meals has increased.
Obesity rates in Greece
Eurostat data on obesity are also noteworthy. In 2025, 12.8% of Greece’s adult population was classified as obese, below the European Union average of 16.3%.
Greece had the second-lowest rate among EU member states, after Italy at 7%, followed by Romania at 12.9%.
IELKA notes, however, that no direct causal link can be established between changes in food purchase quantities and the trend in obesity, as these are different indicators based on different data sources.
Overall, the data show significant changes in Greek households’ dietary and consumption patterns over the past 17 years. The changes mainly concern the composition of the food basket, as consumers adapt their purchases to economic, social and dietary conditions.
Despite changes in prices and in individual spending categories, food continues to account for about one-fifth of the total household budget, except during the pandemic.
Source: AMNA