Greece went against the broader trend across the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), a group of 38 mostly developed economies, in early 2026. Real household income fell in Greece while it continued to rise across the OECD as a whole, although at a slower pace.
Real household income per capita in Greece fell by 3.6% quarter on quarter between January and March 2026, the largest decline among the 21 countries for which data were available.
Among other OECD countries, Hungary and Chile recorded the largest increases in real household income per capita, while Austria had the second-largest decline after Greece, at 2.8%.
The OECD attributed the decline to a fall in net property income and social benefits, which reduced real household income.
Household income per capita is the average net income available to each person in a country after taxes and contributions. It is calculated by dividing total household income by the population.
The OECD attributes Greece’s decline mainly to lower net property income and social benefits, which reduced the real income available to households.
Across the OECD, real household income per capita rose by just 0.2% in the first quarter of 2026, down from 0.6% in the final quarter of 2025.
Sources: Kathimerini, OECD
