Surge in fresh – meat prices

The evolution of international prices for imported products, especially beef, due to the reduction of livestock, has a decisive impact on the overall picture.

Fresh meat prices, a key household staple, continue their steady upward trend.

According to ELSTAT data, although headline inflation in October 2025 edged up to 2% from 1.9% in September (and compared to 2.4% in October 2024), the rate of increase in fresh meat is multiple times higher.

Specifically, annual increases were recorded in:

• Meat overall: +10.6%

Between October and September, further price hikes were seen in:

• Beef: +5.3%
• Pork: +1.6%
• Lamb & goat: +3.4%

Daily price increases are evident particularly in beef, driven by EU policies that have reduced production. According to Savvas Kesidis, president of the Butchers’ Federation, speaking on ERT News, the average price in butcher shops now exceeds €16 per kilo for boneless beef. Rising prices are also reported in sheep and goat meat, with Kesidis pointing to mass “Hellenization” of imports, especially ahead of Christmas, exacerbated by animal disease outbreaks in Greece.

He noted that during Easter 2025, more than 200,000 Romanian lambs entered the market and were sold—though not by local butcher shops—as Greek.

According to the Institute of Retail Research (IELKA), fresh meat prices in major supermarket chains increased 10.54% in October 2025 compared to October 2024.

IELKA attributes these increases mainly to:

• Higher international prices for imported products -especially beef- due to reduced livestock numbers. (Most beef and pork consumed in Greece is imported.)
• Animal diseases that affected Greek livestock, particularly lamb and goat herds.
• Animal diseases and livestock shortages are now also impacting dairy and cheese products, as production costs rise.

Sources from the Ministry of Development (ΥΠΑΝ) state, according to the Athens–Macedonian News Agency, that Greece remains among the EU countries with the lowest food inflation. OECD data for September 2025 shows:

• Food inflation in Greece: 1.4%
• EU average: 3.5%
• OECD average: 5%

This places Greece at the lowest level in the EU and the fourth lowest among the 38 OECD member countries.

However, the Ministry acknowledges that inflation remains a global and multi-dimensional issue. Environmental and regulatory constraints, such as EU rules on beef production, continue to raise costs across markets. Moreover, high prices affect multiple areas of daily life: energy, housing, and transportation.

OECD data shows that of the total 1.9% inflation (Sept. 2025 vs. Sept. 2024), food contributed only 0.3%, with energy and other goods/services accounting for the rest.

Even so, any increase -small or large- remains an extra burden for households, especially in urban centers where rents have nearly doubled. Although inflation is easing, what ultimately matters is whether citizens feel relief in their daily expenses. The Ministry emphasizes that this requires the continuation of policies that restrain the cost of living and strengthen competition.

A nationwide survey by Metron Analysis for the Federation of Educational Tutors (ΟΕΦΕ), funded by the Athens Chamber of Tradesmen, highlights growing public concern over the economy and society.

Key findings:

• 71% of respondents identify high prices and cost of living as the country’s No. 1 problem.
• 76% believe the country is moving in the wrong direction.
• 70% say they are not having children due to economic difficulties—an alarming sign for Greece’s demographic challenge.

Giannis Chatzitheodosiou, president of the Athens Chamber of Tradesmen, stresses that the findings show the majority of society continues to struggle. He notes that tackling the demographic crisis is a matter of national importance and calls for immediate, effective policy interventions to avoid worsening conditions.