ELSTAT: 1.9% growth in Q2 2026

The Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) published on Monday, 7 September 2026 preliminary data on national accounts for Q2 2026. According to the data, Gross Domestic Product grew 1.9% annually compared to Q2 2025, and 0.3% compared to the previous quarter of 2026. The publication of the data coincided with the period of the Thessaloniki International Fair, when the economy’s performance is usually at the centre of public debate and political intervention. Provisional data are published regularly by ELSTAT each quarter and serve as a key tool for tracking Greece’s economic performance by institutions and analysts.

In the breakdown of individual indicators, household consumption rose 1.7%, while public consumption increased 1.0%. The largest rise was seen in gross fixed capital investments, with an increase of 6.1%, a figure which according to ELSTAT data reflects enhanced investment activity compared to the corresponding quarter last year. In foreign trade, goods exports rose 6.6%, while services exports fell 1.7%. Simultaneously, goods imports rose 2.0% and services imports 8.3%, a development that shows increased domestic demand for both goods and services from abroad. The combined picture of consumption and investment, according to ELSTAT data, shows that domestic demand remained the main driver of economic activity during Q2 2026.

These figures directly affect the climate of the economy and households’ lives, as the rise in consumption reflects, according to the data, the spending behaviour of citizens and businesses during the quarter. The increase in investment is an indicator closely monitored, as it is linked to job creation and strengthening the country’s productive base over the medium term. At the same time, the decline in services exports, combined with the rise in services imports, is a factor that, according to the data, affects the country’s current account balance and is discussed by analysts in the context of the Fair. This development is also monitored by the country’s institutional partners, in assessing the country’s fiscal and development trajectory.

ELSTAT clarified that these are provisional data, which are expected to be revised on 16 October 2026, when final figures for the quarter will be announced. The publication of the data took place during the Fair period, when GDP performance is expected to be a reference point in public debate on the country’s economic policy. Analysts and institutions are expected to evaluate the data alongside forthcoming monthly and quarterly figures to be released by ELSTAT in the coming months, especially in view of budget planning. Until then, the current data remain the most recent official picture of Greece’s economic performance in the second quarter of the year.