“In a turbulent economic environment, Greece has shown remarkable resilience and recorded positive performance. GDP grew by 2.3% in 2024, far exceeding the European average, and this momentum continued in 2025. In the first half of the year, the economy grew by 2% compared to the same period in 2024, with private consumption, net exports and investment as the main drivers,” Bank of Greece Governor Yannis Stournaras said in a speech at the Athens International Investment Summit (AIIS).

For the Greek banking system, as Stournaras noted, “significantly stronger today, supported by healthy fundamentals. Capital adequacy ratios have improved, profitability has increased and non-performing loans have fallen to historically low levels. Liquidity remains high, and following successive credit rating upgrades, Greek banks are firmly within the investment grade category.

The resilience of Greek banks is confirmed by the results of the recently published pan-European 2025 extreme situation simulation exercise. According to these, even under adverse macroeconomic scenarios, Greek banks maintain capital levels that exceed regulatory requirements with a safe margin, and are higher than the European average. These achievements create a solid basis for banks to finance investment and support the real economy more effectively.”

For investment, he noted, “the performance is particularly noteworthy, showing strong momentum in recent years. Since 2019, investment has been growing steadily (+60% until 2024), covering part of the large investment gap created during the debt crisis.”

On the other hand, the international economic system “is going through a period of transformation, in which fundamental principles that have been in place for decades are being challenged,” the BoE governor said.

Regarding the tariffs, Stournaras said, “For Greece, the immediate impact of the new tariffs is expected to be limited, as the US is not a key trading partner of our country. “Despite the significant progress I have already described, Greece still faces long-term structural challenges.”