For the first time ever, Greek youth unemployment rate (13%) fell below EU average (14,7%). In 2013 62,5% of young Greeks were unemployed.

Youth unemployment in Greece fell below the European Union average for the first time ever in December, with a large part of the convergence achieved over the last six years, especially after the end of the pandemic.

According to data from ELSTAT and Eurostat, unemployment in the 15–24 age group in the country stood at 13% in December, i.e. 9.3 percentage points lower compared with the last month of 2024, while in the EU it was measured at 14.7%.

These figures were published in late January, but further analysis of the time series of the two statistical agencies shows that this is the first time since data collection began in January 2000—i.e. over the past 26 years—that Greece has recorded a better performance than the average of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is noted that during the period of the economic crisis, the gap to the detriment of our country reached as much as 37.5 points.

The picture from the “ERGANI” system also records that between 2019 and 2025, private-sector employees up to 24 years old increased by 64,900 people and, if it is estimated that over the same period 563,000 new jobs were created in the private sector, this means that 11.5% of those hired were young workers.

The history of Greece’s “comeback”

The nadir was recorded in May 2013, when youth unemployment in Greece reached 62.5%, compared with 25% in the EU. The figure for Greece remained above 40% until mid-2018, as a result of prolonged uncertainty and low growth, with Greece consistently ranking either last or second-to-last among EU members, with Spain as its only “competitor.”

In the summer of 2019, youth unemployment stood between 37% and 38%, but the outbreak of the pandemic “froze” economic activity. From the end of 2022, however, when the effects of the health crisis began to ease, youth unemployment started falling again.

With the economy recovering and investments having a significant share in the mix, the unemployment rate for those aged 15–24 fell below the 20% “threshold” in 2024. This momentum continued in 2025, especially toward the end of the year, as in the last three months alone the indicator dropped by almost eight points. Despite the seasonal fluctuations that exist in the labor market, it is estimated that the shrinking of unemployment among those up to 24 was deep and systematic.

Researchers and market participants noted that, beyond the economy’s growth momentum, a set of policies has contributed to boosting youth employment, particularly the cumulative reduction of social security contributions by 5.4 points since 2019 and the wide implementation of the digital work card, through which working hours that until recently were “off the books” are now declared. The same sources stressed that young workers are often the most vulnerable to poor employer practices, such as undeclared overtime.

Two sources added that toward the end of last year, hiring was also positively affected by the tax cuts announced at the Thessaloniki International Fair (DETH), which are particularly favorable for employees up to 25 years old, as they “guarantee zero taxation for income up to €20,000.”

A senior executive in the retail sector also pointed to the speed with which youth unemployment in Greece declined, adding that “scars” in the labor market usually require more time to heal.

The reduction in young unemployed people in Greece in recent years (described as rapid) is also reflected in the comparison with Spain. Although the two countries were “companions” during the economic crisis, from 2023 Greece has clearly “overtaken” the Iberians. Indicatively, last December youth unemployment in Spain was measured at 23.4%, i.e. more than 10 points worse than in our country.