Economy, jobs and prices in Thessaloniki (Central Macedonia, Greece): official figures
GDP per person was 22,400 purchasing power standards (PPS) in 2023, 58% of the EU average (68% for Greece); 18th highest of 52 regional units in Greece.
How big is the economy of Thessaloniki?
The local economy produced €19.7 billion of output (GDP) in 2023.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people work in Thessaloniki?
About 540,470 people worked in Thessaloniki in 2023 (employment by place of work).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the unemployment rate in the Thessaloniki regional unit?
The Thessaloniki regional unit had 16.1% of its labour force out of work at the 2021 census (78,960 people), compared with 14.2% for Greece as a whole, 21st highest of 52 among the NUTS3 areas.
Source: Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) · saved copyHow many people work in the Thessaloniki regional unit?
412,186 residents of the Thessaloniki regional unit were in work and 491,149 were economically active at the 2021 census, out of a resident population of 1,092,919.
Source: Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) · saved copyWhat is the female unemployment rate in the Thessaloniki regional unit?
Unemployment among women in the Thessaloniki regional unit was 17.5% at the 2021 census, against 14.9% among men, a gap of 2.5 percentage points.
Source: Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) · saved copyHow many pensioners live in the Thessaloniki regional unit?
The Thessaloniki regional unit had 220,434 pensioners in 2021, 53 for every 100 people in work (59 nationally), 14th lowest of 52 among the NUTS3 areas.
Source: Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) · saved copyWhat is the main industry in Thessaloniki?
The largest part of the economy of Thessaloniki in 2023 was public administration, education, health and other services, at 27.6% of gross value added, followed by trade, transport, hospitality and communications (26.5%).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow industrial is Thessaloniki?
Factories, mines and energy produced 18.1% of the value added in Thessaloniki in 2023, against 14.8% for Greece.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow fast is the economy of Thessaloniki growing?
Gross value added rose from €13.3 billion in 2015 to €17.2 billion in 2023 in current prices, an increase of 29% before inflation.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat jobs do people do in Thessaloniki?
Of the 540,470 jobs located in Thessaloniki in 2023, 26% in public services, education, health and other services, 11% in industry and 3.0% in farming, forestry and fishing.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyAre jobs growing in Thessaloniki?
The number of people working in Thessaloniki rose by 25.7% between 2015 and 2023, to 540,470.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyMore figures
- 20.4% of the unemployed in the Thessaloniki regional unit in 2021 were looking for their first job (16,129 people), versus 24.1% across Greece. Source: Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) · saved copy
- 44.9% of all residents of the Thessaloniki regional unit were economically active, working or looking for work, at the 2021 census (44.3% nationally), and 206,348 were pupils or students. Source: Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) · saved copy
How Thessaloniki compares with other regional units in Greece
Unemployment rate at the 2021 census (2021)
Thessaloniki ranks 21 of 52, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Unemployment rate at the 2021 census |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | Lefkada | 16.5% |
| 19 | Ileia | 16.4% |
| 20 | Thesprotia | 16.2% |
| 21 | Thessaloniki | 16.1% |
| 22 | Drama | 16.0% |
| 23 | Magnisia, Sporades | 16.0% |
| 24 | Thasos, Kavala | 15.7% |
Pensioners per 100 employed people, 2021 census (2021)
Thessaloniki ranks 39 of 52, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Pensioners per 100 employed people, 2021 census |
|---|---|---|
| 36 | Chalkidiki | 62 |
| 37 | Xanthi | 60 |
| 38 | Kerkyra | 60 |
| 39 | Thessaloniki | 53 |
| 40 | Peiraias, Nisoi | 52 |
| 41 | Notios Tomeas Athinon | 51 |
| 42 | Voreios Tomeas Athinon | 51 |
Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) (2023)
Thessaloniki ranks 17 of 52, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) |
|---|---|---|
| 14 | Xanthi | 20.6% |
| 15 | Thasos, Kavala | 19.5% |
| 16 | Larisa | 19.1% |
| 17 | Thessaloniki | 18.1% |
| 18 | Aitoloakarnania | 18.1% |
| 19 | Kastoria | 17.8% |
| 20 | Karditsa, Trikala | 17.3% |
Share of output from finance, property and business services (2023)
Thessaloniki ranks 16 of 52, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from finance, property and business services |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | Lefkada | 24.0% |
| 14 | Ithaki, Kefallinia | 23.9% |
| 15 | Irakleio | 23.8% |
| 16 | Thessaloniki | 23.7% |
| 17 | Ikaria, Samos | 23.7% |
| 18 | Lesvos, Limnos | 23.6% |
| 19 | Lakonia, Messinia | 23.5% |
Share of output from public administration, education, health and other services (2023)
Thessaloniki ranks 11 of 52, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from public administration, education, health and other services |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Karditsa, Trikala | 29.4% |
| 9 | Achaia | 29.2% |
| 10 | Kastoria | 29.1% |
| 11 | Thessaloniki | 27.6% |
| 12 | Rodopi | 27.5% |
| 13 | Larisa | 27.1% |
| 14 | Arta, Preveza | 25.8% |
More on Thessaloniki: overview · health · education and schools · poverty and living standards · government and politics · Central Macedonia · Greece
Sources
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3gdp: GDP per person, PPS (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 3bf0fc662f56…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3gdp: GDP, million euros (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 096e15e5fdb3…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3empers: Employment, thousand people (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 664e4e3a6dc0…)
- Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT): 2021 Population-Housing Census tables SAM04 A01 (residents by sex, education and activity status, regional units), SAM04 B03 (same, municipalities), SAM05 A01 (conventional dwellings by occupancy, period of construction and building type), SAM05 A07 (occupied dwellings by floor space per person) and SAM05 B02 (occupied dwellings by tenure), read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 86872ba6c2c0…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3empers: Employment (thousand persons) by NUTS 3 region and industry, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 222a97c302d3…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3gva: Gross value added at basic prices by NUTS 3 region and industry, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 c656e8563bdf…)
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