Almost one in two Greeks cannot afford even a week’s vacation, with the country recording one of the highest rates in the European Union according to Eurostat.
Specifically, 46% of Greeks over the age of 16 are unable to afford a week’s vacation per year. This percentage is only second highest in the European Union, after Romania’s 58.6%. Bulgaria ranks third, with 41.4% unable to afford a week’s vacation.
According to Eurostat data, since 2010, almost half of Greeks have said they can’t afford a week’s vacation, with the percentage ranging from about 49% to 53%. From 2021 onwards, the situation appears to be improving, with rates falling to 43.1% in 2023.
However, convergence with the European Union average is still a long way off. In particular, in 2024, 27% of the EU population over the age of 16 said they did not have enough money for a week’s vacation. This is a significant drop of 10.6 points compared to a decade earlier.
In contrast to Romania, Greece, and Bulgaria, the lowest rates of inability to take a week’s vacation were recorded in Luxembourg (8.9%), Sweden (11.6%), and the Netherlands (13%).
This is linked to a recent IELKA survey, which found that a significant percentage of people will not be going on vacation this year, with cost being the biggest problem. In this context, 50% of those who do go on vacation will stay at home or with relatives.
When asked “Will you go on vacation this year?”, 49% answered yes and 43% answered no. Beyond that, the percentage of young people aged 17-24 is high (78%), while among those over 65 it drops to 32%. In the other age groups, it’s around 50%.
The answers regarding what influenced the decision to go on vacation are interesting, with the cost of accommodation (81%) at the top of the list, followed by other priorities (80%). Ticket costs (62%) and food costs (50%) also account for a high percentage.
