Nearly half of all Greeks reported they could not afford a week-long vacation away from home in 2025, according to new data from Eurostat. With 46.6% of the population affected, this placed Greece among the worst-off countries in the 27-nation bloc. Of all the countries examined, only Romania and Turkey fared worse.
Across the European Union as a whole, 27.5% of people aged sixteen and older said a week-long trip away from home was out of reach for them in 2025. That marks a minor increase of 0.5 percentage points from 2024. Even so, the bloc-wide figure has dropped sharply over the past decade and sits 7.7 percentage points lower than it did in 2015.
Wealthier Northern Europe reports far fewer vacation hurdles
Romania recorded the highest percentage in the EU, with 61.4% of its population saying they could not afford a week-long vacation. Greece followed with 46.6% of residents indicating this was also a financial struggle for them. Bulgaria and Hungary ranked third, with 39.1% of their populations affected similarly. All four countries recorded figures well above the EU average.
By contrast, wealthier Northern European countries reported far fewer financial barriers to taking a vacation. In Luxembourg, only 10.6% of residents said they could not afford a week away from home—the lowest percentage in the EU. Sweden followed with 12.4% of its population facing the same challenge, while 12.8% of the population in the Netherlands encounters similar issues. Outside the EU, Norway reported an even lower rate, with just 9.1% of its population saying a week-long trip was unaffordable—the lowest figure in Europe.
Older Greeks hardest hit in terms of vacation affordability
The difficulty becomes even more pronounced with age. Among Greeks aged 65 and over who live alone, 64.2% said they could not afford a week away from home. This compares with an EU average of 38.6% of older people living alone facing the same challenge.
Younger Greeks living alone also experienced financial barriers, although to a lesser extent. In this group, 43.5% reported that a week-long vacation was beyond their means, compared with an EU average of 29.9% among younger single-adult households. In Turkey, 50.5% of the population said they could not afford a week-long getaway, a higher percentage than in Greece. Serbia recorded a lower figure at 36.3%.
The data highlights a significant divide between Europe’s wealthier and less well-off countries. Although the EU as a whole has made steady progress since 2015, nations such as Greece, Romania, Bulgaria, and Hungary continue to face much greater difficulties in terms of vacation affordability.
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