In its latest World Economic Outlook, presented at the IMF’s annual meetings in Bangkok, the fund projects Greek economic growth of 1.8% in both 2026 and 2027, down from 2.1% in 2025.
Despite the slowdown, Greece is expected to outperform the broader eurozone, where growth is forecast at just 1.1% this year and 1.2% in 2027.
The more troubling development is inflation. Consumer-price growth is projected to accelerate to 4.2% in 2026, from 2.9% last year, before easing to 3.6% in 2027. Both figures remain substantially above the European Central Bank’s 2% inflation target, suggesting continued pressure on household purchasing power.
The IMF also expects Greece’s current-account deficit, a measure of the country’s financial transactions with the rest of the world, to widen to 6.6% of gross domestic product this year, compared with 5.7% in 2025. The shortfall is projected to narrow to 5.9% in 2027.
A widening external deficit raises concerns about the economy’s dependence on foreign financing and its vulnerability to international shocks.
The labor market offers a more encouraging picture.
Unemployment is forecast to decline to 8% this year, from 8.9% in 2025, before falling further to 7.6% in 2027, continuing Greece’s gradual improvement in employment conditions.
The challenges extend beyond Greece. Across the eurozone, inflation is expected to climb to 3.1% in 2026, from 2.1% last year, before moderating to 2.8% in 2027. The combination of weak growth and persistent price pressures complicates the outlook for European monetary policy.
The IMF’s forecasts reflect an increasingly unstable international environment, with the war in the Middle East, rising energy prices and tighter financing conditions weighing on economic activity.
Globally, the fund expects growth to slow to 3.1% in 2026, from 3.5% in 2025, before recovering to 3.4% in 2027.
