2026 Budget: Greece Aims for 2.4% Growth, 2.2% Inflation

Greece formally submitted its 2026 state budget to Parliament on Thursday, launching the country’s annual budget process with a package the government describes as “realistic, social, implementable and growth-oriented.” Debate in the full chamber will begin December 13, with a vote expected on December 17, following committee discussions starting November 27.

The handover followed the traditional ceremony in which Finance Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis, along with Deputy Minister Thanos Petralias, presented the budget to Speaker of Parliament Nikitas Kaklamanis, this year accompanied not only by the customary USB drive but also by a new fully digital version featuring a QR code stored in the cloud. As Pierrakakis noted, 2025 marks the final year the budget will be physically submitted via USB.

Pierrakakis and Petralias highlighted that, despite global uncertainty, the Greek economy is projected to outpace the eurozone for a sixth consecutive year. Growth is forecast at 2.2% in 2025 and 2.4% in 2026, compared with the eurozone’s 1.3% and 1.2% respectively. Nominal GDP is expected to rise from €248.7 billion in 2025 to €260 billion in 2026, while inflation is projected to ease from 2.6% to 2.2%. The draft includes lower income-tax rates, revised criteria for assessing living costs, reduced taxation