Economy, jobs and prices in Rethymni (Crete, Greece): official figures
GDP per person was 22,000 purchasing power standards (PPS) in 2023, 57% of the EU average (68% for Greece); 20th highest of 52 regional units in Greece.
How big is the economy of Rethymni?
The local economy produced €1.5 billion of output (GDP) in 2023.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people work in Rethymni?
About 40,100 people worked in Rethymni in 2023 (employment by place of work).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the unemployment rate in Rethymno?
Rethymno had 9.3% of its labour force out of work at the 2021 census (3,704 people), compared with 14.2% for Greece as a whole, the lowest of 52 among the NUTS3 areas.
Source: Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) · saved copyHow many people work in Rethymno?
36,046 residents of Rethymno were in work and 39,752 were economically active at the 2021 census, out of a resident population of 84,866.
Source: Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) · saved copyWhat is the female unemployment rate in Rethymno?
Unemployment among women in Rethymno was 10.0% at the 2021 census, against 8.8% among men, a gap of 1.2 percentage points.
Source: Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) · saved copyHow many pensioners live in Rethymno?
Rethymno had 16,138 pensioners in 2021, 45 for every 100 people in work (59 nationally), 3rd lowest of 52 among the NUTS3 areas.
Source: Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) · saved copyWhat is the main industry in Rethymni?
The largest part of the economy of Rethymni in 2023 was trade, transport, hospitality and communications, at 40.0% of gross value added, followed by finance, property and business services (21.4%).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow industrial is Rethymni?
Factories, mines and energy produced 7.3% of the value added in Rethymni in 2023, against 14.8% for Greece.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow fast is the economy of Rethymni growing?
Gross value added rose from €1.0 billion in 2015 to €1.4 billion in 2023 in current prices, an increase of 30% before inflation.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat jobs do people do in Rethymni?
Of the 40,100 jobs located in Rethymni in 2023, 21% in public services, education, health and other services, 5% in industry and 17.4% in farming, forestry and fishing.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyAre jobs growing in Rethymni?
The number of people working in Rethymni rose by 17.5% between 2015 and 2023, to 40,100.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyMore figures
- 25.4% of the unemployed in Rethymno in 2021 were looking for their first job (940 people), versus 24.1% across Greece. Source: Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) · saved copy
- 46.8% of all residents of Rethymno were economically active, working or looking for work, at the 2021 census (44.3% nationally), and 17,322 were pupils or students. Source: Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) · saved copy
How Rethymni compares with other regional units in Greece
Unemployment rate at the 2021 census (2021)
Rethymni ranks 52 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)
Rethymni ranks 50 of 52, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Pensioners per 100 employed people, 2021 census |
|---|---|---|
| 46 | Chania | 48 |
| 47 | Andros, Thira, Kea, Milos, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, Syros, Tinos | 47 |
| 48 | Zakynthos | 46 |
| 49 | Dytikos Tomeas Athinon | 46 |
| 50 | Rethymni | 45 |
| 51 | Kalymnos, Karpathos – Iroiki Nisos Kasos, Kos, Rodos | 42 |
| 52 | Dytiki Attiki | 41 |
Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) (2023)
Rethymni ranks 46 of 52, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) |
|---|---|---|
| 43 | Lesvos, Limnos | 8.2% |
| 44 | Kentrikos Tomeas Athinon | 8.1% |
| 45 | Chios | 7.9% |
| 46 | Rethymni | 7.3% |
| 47 | Kalymnos, Karpathos – Iroiki Nisos Kasos, Kos, Rodos | 6.9% |
| 48 | Ithaki, Kefallinia | 6.4% |
| 49 | Zakynthos | 5.7% |
Share of output from finance, property and business services (2023)
Rethymni ranks 24 of 52, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from finance, property and business services |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | Andros, Thira, Kea, Milos, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros, Syros, Tinos | 22.6% |
| 22 | Chalkidiki | 22.5% |
| 23 | Thesprotia | 22.3% |
| 24 | Rethymni | 21.4% |
| 25 | Thasos, Kavala | 20.9% |
| 26 | Kalymnos, Karpathos – Iroiki Nisos Kasos, Kos, Rodos | 20.2% |
| 27 | Korinthia | 20.2% |
Share of output from public administration, education, health and other services (2023)
Rethymni ranks 43 of 52, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from public administration, education, health and other services |
|---|---|---|
| 40 | Lefkada | 17.3% |
| 41 | Pella | 16.8% |
| 42 | Voreios Tomeas Athinon | 16.3% |
| 43 | Rethymni | 15.7% |
| 44 | Notios Tomeas Athinon | 14.8% |
| 45 | Dytiki Attiki | 14.6% |
| 46 | Anatoliki Attiki | 14.6% |
More on Rethymni: 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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