Economy, jobs and prices in Chania (Crete, Greece): official figures
GDP per person was 23,400 purchasing power standards (PPS) in 2023, 61% of the EU average (68% for Greece); 12th highest of 52 regional units in Greece.
How big is the economy of Chania?
The local economy produced €3.0 billion of output (GDP) in 2023.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people work in Chania?
About 78,290 people worked in Chania in 2023 (employment by place of work).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the unemployment rate in Chania?
Chania had 10.6% of its labour force out of work at the 2021 census (7,656 people), compared with 14.2% for Greece as a whole, 4th lowest of 52 among the NUTS3 areas.
Source: Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) · saved copyHow many people work in Chania?
64,696 residents of Chania were in work and 72,350 were economically active at the 2021 census, out of a resident population of 156,707.
Source: Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) · saved copyWhat is the female unemployment rate in Chania?
Unemployment among women in Chania was 11.2% at the 2021 census, against 10.1% among men, a gap of 1.1 percentage points.
Source: Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) · saved copyHow many pensioners live in Chania?
Chania had 30,857 pensioners in 2021, 48 for every 100 people in work (59 nationally), 7th lowest of 52 among the NUTS3 areas.
Source: Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) · saved copyWhat is the main industry in Chania?
The largest part of the economy of Chania in 2023 was trade, transport, hospitality and communications, at 37.8% of gross value added, followed by public administration, education, health and other services (20.7%).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow industrial is Chania?
Factories, mines and energy produced 9.0% of the value added in Chania in 2023, against 14.8% for Greece.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow fast is the economy of Chania growing?
Gross value added rose from €2.0 billion in 2015 to €2.6 billion in 2023 in current prices, an increase of 31% before inflation.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat jobs do people do in Chania?
Of the 78,290 jobs located in Chania in 2023, 24% in public services, education, health and other services, 6% in industry and 14.9% in farming, forestry and fishing.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyAre jobs growing in Chania?
The number of people working in Chania rose by 21.4% between 2015 and 2023, to 78,290.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyMore figures
- 22.7% of the unemployed in Chania in 2021 were looking for their first job (1,735 people), versus 24.1% across Greece. Source: Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) · saved copy
- 46.2% of all residents of Chania were economically active, working or looking for work, at the 2021 census (44.3% nationally), and 28,161 were pupils or students. Source: Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) · saved copy
How Chania compares with other regional units in Greece
Unemployment rate at the 2021 census (2021)
Chania ranks 49 of 52, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Unemployment rate at the 2021 census |
|---|---|---|
| 46 | Andros, Thira, Kea, Milos, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, Syros, Tinos | 11.1% |
| 47 | Anatoliki Attiki | 11.1% |
| 48 | Kalymnos, Karpathos – Iroiki Nisos Kasos, Kos, Rodos | 10.8% |
| 49 | Chania | 10.6% |
| 50 | Lasithi | 10.1% |
| 51 | Voreios Tomeas Athinon | 9.7% |
| 52 | Rethymni | 9.3% |
Pensioners per 100 employed people, 2021 census (2021)
Chania ranks 46 of 52, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Pensioners per 100 employed people, 2021 census |
|---|---|---|
| 43 | Irakleio | 49 |
| 44 | Kentrikos Tomeas Athinon | 49 |
| 45 | Anatoliki Attiki | 48 |
| 46 | Chania | 48 |
| 47 | Andros, Thira, Kea, Milos, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, Syros, Tinos | 47 |
| 48 | Zakynthos | 46 |
| 49 | Dytikos Tomeas Athinon | 46 |
Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) (2023)
Chania ranks 39 of 52, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) |
|---|---|---|
| 36 | Irakleio | 10.4% |
| 37 | Voreios Tomeas Athinon | 9.8% |
| 38 | Chalkidiki | 9.4% |
| 39 | Chania | 9.0% |
| 40 | Ikaria, Samos | 8.8% |
| 41 | Notios Tomeas Athinon | 8.8% |
| 42 | Thesprotia | 8.7% |
Share of output from finance, property and business services (2023)
Chania ranks 31 of 52, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from finance, property and business services |
|---|---|---|
| 28 | Xanthi | 20.1% |
| 29 | Fokida | 20.0% |
| 30 | Rodopi | 19.7% |
| 31 | Chania | 19.6% |
| 32 | Evros | 19.5% |
| 33 | Lasithi | 19.5% |
| 34 | Fthiotida | 19.4% |
Share of output from public administration, education, health and other services (2023)
Chania ranks 29 of 52, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from public administration, education, health and other services |
|---|---|---|
| 26 | Peiraias, Nisoi | 21.4% |
| 27 | Fthiotida | 21.0% |
| 28 | Irakleio | 20.9% |
| 29 | Chania | 20.7% |
| 30 | Ileia | 20.0% |
| 31 | Lakonia, Messinia | 19.5% |
| 32 | Kerkyra | 19.5% |
More on Chania: overview · health · education and schools · poverty and living standards · government and politics · Crete · 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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