Greece Faces Highest Poverty Risk in EU and Lagging Graduate Employment

According to the European Commission’s European Employment and Social Outlook 2026, 27.5% of the Greek population is at risk of poverty or social exclusion, ranking second only to Bulgaria within the EU. The report notes that real wages in Greece are projected to be 0.1% below 2019 levels in 2026, making it one of four EU countries where inflation-adjusted earnings have not fully recovered. Graduate employment is the lowest in the bloc, with just 54.5% of 20-34-year-olds employed, far behind the EU average of 82.1%.

Overqualification affects 58.4% of workers born outside the EU, the highest rate in Europe. Greece also announced the lowest national employment target for 2030, aiming for a 71.1% employment rate among those aged 20-64.