Greek businesses are showing a complete return to investment and optimism, according to the results of the European Investment Bank Group's (EIB) Investment Survey published today.

The EIB report is based on surveys of some 13,000 businesses across all EU member states and shows that Greek businesses appear significantly more optimistic about their investment prospects than their European counterparts.

In fact, investment has recorded a 40% increase compared to pre-pandemic levels from Q1 2020 to Q1 2024. At the same time, companies operating in our country express high confidence in the economic environment, business prospects, availability of finance and the political-regulatory framework.

Key findings for Greece include:

• Greek firms are more active in international trade than the European average (74% vs. 63%) and are twice as likely to import from abroad. However, they are still significantly affected by international trade turbulence, even as these concerns subside in the rest of the EU.
• 88% of Greek firms say they face frictions in the EU single market when exporting products within the Union, compared to only 60% of European firms overall.
• Bureaucracy remains a challenge: 63% of Greek businesses employ staff exclusively to manage administrative requirements, compared to 86% in the EU.
• In the construction and infrastructure sectors, as well as among SMEs, one in four enterprises employs more than 10% of their workforce exclusively for bureaucratic reasons.

"Greek businesses are showing remarkable resilience and optimism, despite the uncertainties of the global economy," said EIB Vice-President Yannis Tsakiris.

"The EIB Group remains committed to supporting Greece's investment ambitions, ensuring that businesses have access to the financing they need to grow in a competitive global environment. Our investments focus on sustainable energy, business innovation and climate change adaptation , the key pillars for Greece's future growth."