Facts and Figures

The agricultural sector in Greece remains a very important sector of economic activity and employment for Greece. The primary sector employs 12.4% of total labour force in Greece, amounting to some 600,000 people (2010). Agriculture contributes roughly 4% of GDP. Exports of agricultural products account for one third of total exports in Greece. Main categories of exported products are fruits, vegetables and olive oil while main imports include meat and dairy products.

Organic farming has grown dramatically over the last years constituting an important priority in the sustainable development of the sector in Greece.

Overall, the food and drinks industry is a vital component of the economy, since it has become a dynamic, competitive and export-oriented sector.              

Did you know:

• Agriculture contributes 4% of the national GDP, almost the double of the European average.
• Approximately 70% of the Greek land cannot be cultivated because of poor soil or because it is covered by forests.
• Greece adopted a system of farming cooperatives as early as 1915.
• In 2010, Greece was the European Union's largest producer of cotton and pistachios and ranked second in the production of rice, third in the production of figs and almonds, tomatoes and water melons, and fourth in the production of tobacco.
• Between 2000 and 2007 organic farming in Greece increased by 885%, the highest change percentage in the EU.
• In 2007, Greece accounted for 19% of the EU's fishing haul in the Mediterranean Sea and ranked first in the number of fishing vessels in the Mediterranean among European Union members.