Human Capital
Greece has a specialized and highly trained workforce, capable of effectively supporting any investment project. Based on the following tables, 47.7% of the total labour force has a higher education degree, while 7.9% has a master’s degree and/or a doctorate. It is also indicative that, according to the Hellenic Statistical Authority (data published in March 2025), 22.3% of employed persons are service providers and salesmen, 16.8% are skilled craftsmen and plant and machine operators, 11.1% are office clerks, 9.6% are skilled agricultural and fishery workers and 6.3% are technicians.
The workforce is aligned with the needs of the Greek economy and the trends of the globalized market, with approximately 72.2% employed in the services sector, 16.4% in the secondary sector and 10.8% in the primary sector – more detailed data concerning the employed persons by section of economic activity is presented in the tables below. Furthermore, according to a survey conducted by the Greek Statistical Authority, 69.5% of adults in Greece speak at least one foreign language, while 64.5% of adults speak English.
More key facts about the workforce of Greece:
Greece occupies the 4th highest enrollment rate in tertiary education among OECD countries.
- Τhe percentage of STEM graduates in Greece is above the OECD average. This is helping to drive growth in several areas: in pharmaceuticals & life sciences, in R&D, and in the country’s rapidly maturing startup ecosystem.
- Greece ranked 39th in Global Talent Competitiveness Index 2023, out of 134 countries.
Source: INSEAD https://www.insead.edu/global-talent-competitiveness-index - Greece ranked 8th out of 116 countries at the English Proficiency Index in 2024
Source: EF English Proficiency Index - Greece ranked in 29th place (out of 132 countries) in the Human Capital & Research category of the Global Innovation Index for 2023.
Source: World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Global Innovation Index 2023
| Employed persons by section of economic activity
(in thousands), 2024 (4th quarter) |
|
| Agriculture, forestry and fishing | 454.5 |
| Mining and quarrying | 7.1 |
| Manufacturing | 421.6 |
| Electricity, gas, water supply, sewerage, waste management | 85.3 |
| Construction | 192.4 |
| Trade | 728.7 |
| Accommodation and food service activities | 368.0 |
| Transportation and storage | 243.1 |
| Information and communication | 110.0 |
| Financial and insurance activities | 79.8 |
| Real estate activities | 9.8 |
| Public administration and defence; compulsory social security | 352.5 |
| Education | 340.1 |
| Human health and social work activities | 310.7 |
| Various service activities | 545.8 |
| Other category | 26.5 |
| Total | 4,275.9 |
Source: Hellenic Statistical Authority March 2025, data processed by Enterprise Greece
| Level of education of the labour force (in thousands and %), 2024 (4th quarter) |
||
| Post graduate qualification | 375.7 | 7.9% |
| University degree | 935.2 | 19.8% |
| Third level technical – vocational institution degree | 945.8 | 20,0% |
| Completed secondary level education | 1,752.5 | 37.1% |
| Level lower than the above | 718.7 | 15.2% |
| Total | 4,727.9 | 100% |
Source: Hellenic Statistical Authority March 2025, data processed by Enterprise Greece
