Strong rise for food exports in 2025 - 11.5% increase in the first five months
Friday, July 18, 2025
Greek food exports showed significant strengthening both during the month of May and overall in the first five months of 2025, according to provisional data from ELSTAT and their analysis by the Panhellenic Exporters Association and the Center for Export Research and Studies.
Food sector exports increased by 12.7% in May compared to the corresponding month in 2024, while in the January-May period the increase was 11.5%.
Food and beverages take the lead
Although total Greek exports recorded a slight decline of 1.3% in May and 4.3% in the five-month period, excluding the impact of petroleum products, a clear upward trend is recorded. Specifically, the value of exports without petroleum products increased by 9.1% in May, while in the first five months the increase was 5.8%. The main categories supporting this recovery are food, beverages, tobacco, plant and animal oils, as well as chemical products.
9.3% increase to Third Countries and 8.9% to the EU
The strengthening of food exports is not limited only to the European market. During May 2025, exports to European Union countries without petroleum products increased by 8.9%, while to Third Countries the increase reached 9.3%. In the same period, the performance in the beverages and tobacco category was particularly impressive, recording a 24.5% increase in May and 13% in the five-month period.
Plant and animal oils also recorded remarkable progress, with a 19.8% increase in May and 4.8% for the entire five-month period. The above data confirm the momentum that Greek food products are gaining in international markets through quality and adaptability to modern consumer trends.
Trade balance improvement due to reduced imports
Along with the increase in food exports, the Greek economy recorded a significant decrease in total goods imports, a fact that contributed decisively to the improvement of the country’s trade balance. Specifically, in May 2025 the total value of imports declined by 14.7%, reaching 6.47 billion euros, reflecting a substantial reduction in demand for imported products.
However, without petroleum products, imports increased by 7.2%, reaching 5.56 billion euros.
This development led to a 28.5% reduction in the trade deficit on an annual basis. In particular, the trade deficit without petroleum products stood at 2.33 billion euros, reduced by 3.1% compared to May 2024. This trend reinforces the importance of export efforts and mainly the food sector, which remains a key pillar of the Greek economy.
Elisavet Papouliou
Source: FoodReporter July 15th 2025 #1446, page 4.