Greece is increasingly appearing on the radar of the world’s wealthy as the global movement of capital, residence and family planning becomes more strategic.

In a period marked by geopolitical tension, fiscal uncertainty and changing tax regimes, high-net-worth individuals are no longer choosing a country of residence simply on lifestyle grounds. For many, relocation has become part of a wider plan to protect assets, create options for their families and secure access to stable jurisdictions.

This is the central message emerging from two major international reports: Henley & Partners’ Private Wealth Migration Report 2026 and Knight Frank’s Wealth Report 2026. Both point to Greece as a country whose profile has changed markedly in recent years — not only as a holiday or second-home destination, but as a base for internationally mobile wealth.

The advantages

Greece’s appeal rests on a combination of factors: political stability, EU membership, quality of life, relatively attractive tax tools for new residents, improving infrastructure, and the enduring draw of climate, landscape and lifestyle.

For wealthy investors and families, these advantages are increasingly viewed through a strategic lens. The question is no longer only where to live well, but where assets, family life and future mobility can be better protected.

In this context, Greece has become more competitive. It offers access to the European Union and the Schengen Area, a mature real estate market with strong international demand, and a Golden Visa programme that remains among the most closely watched in Europe despite higher investment thresholds in many areas.

Henley & Partners

Henley & Partners places Greece among the world’s most competitive jurisdictions for globally mobile wealth, giving the country a score of 70.5 out of 100 in its new Wealth Mobility Competitiveness framework.

The index assesses countries across factors such as tax treatment, rule of law, quality of life, geopolitical stability, capital mobility, family integration and investor-migration pathways. Greece ranks close to Switzerland, Hong Kong and Uruguay, while Singapore leads the global list.

The report does not present the 2026 score as a forecast of actual millionaire inflows. Rather, it introduces a framework designed to measure how structurally attractive different jurisdictions are to internationally mobile wealth.

Even so, Greece is specifically identified as one of the clearest beneficiaries of changes in Europe’s investment-migration landscape, particularly after Spain closed its Golden Visa programme and Portugal moved away from its real estate-linked route.

Competition

The report places Greece in a competitive field that includes Singapore, New Zealand, the Cayman Islands, Cyprus, the Netherlands, Portugal, Italy, Switzerland and Hong Kong.

Although several European jurisdictions score higher, Henley & Partners highlights Greece, Italy and Switzerland as especially attractive destinations for wealthy migrants. Greece’s position is supported by the lifestyle it offers, its tax incentives for new residents and its established Golden Visa programme.

The report also makes a broader point: when governments close established routes for wealth mobility, demand does not disappear. It shifts elsewhere. Greece appears to be one of the countries benefiting from that shift.

In Henley’s 2025 wealth-flow figures, Greece was estimated to have attracted around 1,200 millionaire migrants, bringing with them an estimated $7.7 billion in private wealth. That placed the country among the leading global destinations for high-net-worth relocation.

The Economist

The wider trend has also been noted by The Economist, which has described wealth migration as a fast-growing global industry shaped by uncertainty, taxation, politics and security.

The market for investment migration has expanded sharply since before the pandemic, with law firms, accounting firms, wealth advisers, investment funds and real estate companies now serving wealthy clients seeking residence, citizenship options or more secure jurisdictions.

This ecosystem no longer deals only with passports or residence permits. It increasingly manages the wider relocation of tax affairs, investment structures, family offices and personal assets.

For Greece, this matters because the country is no longer competing only as a lifestyle destination. It is competing as a jurisdiction.

In the top 20

Knight Frank’s Wealth Report 2026 reinforces the picture from another angle. Its Wealth Sizing Model estimates that Greece’s ultra-high-net-worth population — individuals with more than $30 million in net wealth — rose from 523 in 2021 to 910 in 2026, a 74% increase.

By 2031, that number is forecast to reach around 1,140, implying further growth of 25.3% and placing Greece among the 20 fastest-growing UHNWI markets over the next five years.

Globally, Knight Frank estimates that the number of UHNWIs rose from 551,435 in 2021 to 713,626 in 2026 — equivalent to 89 new ultra-wealthy individuals every day. By 2031, the global total is expected to approach one million.

The report also points to a more polycentric geography of wealth. The next phase of growth is not expected to come only from traditional economic powers, but also from fast-growing markets. In Europe, Greece is cited alongside countries such as Sweden and Romania as part of this broader redistribution.

The implications for Greece

The relocation of wealthy individuals is not merely a demographic trend. It represents a transfer of economic power.

When high-net-worth individuals move, they often bring more than personal capital. Investment vehicles, family offices, business networks and professional-service demand can follow. This can strengthen luxury real estate, finance, hospitality, private education, healthcare and parts of the start-up ecosystem.

For Greece, the inflow is also a vote of confidence. It reflects a perception that the country offers greater credibility, stability and investment potential than it did a decade ago.

At the same time, the trend creates pressure. Incoming wealth can deepen demand in already expensive property markets, especially in Athens, the Athenian Riviera, the northern suburbs and selected island destinations. The challenge is to ensure that this capital supports productive investment rather than simply fuelling price inflation.

Golden Visa demand

The Greek Golden Visa remains a central part of the story.

According to official May 2026 data, Greece had 32,156 active main investor permits and 92,914 active residence permits linked to the programme when family members are included.

Chinese nationals remain the largest group by a wide margin, followed by investors from Turkey, Lebanon, Iran, the United Kingdom, Israel, Egypt and the United States.

Demand has continued despite the increase in investment thresholds, which now reach €800,000 in premium zones such as Athens, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and islands with more than 3,500 residents. Lower thresholds continue to apply in other areas and in specific categories of property investment.

The profile of applicants also reflects wider geopolitical and economic pressures. Investors from countries such as Turkey, Lebanon, Iran and Israel have been seeking European residence options amid regional uncertainty, inflation, political instability or security concerns. Wealthier Americans have also shown growing interest in European property and residence rights, often as part of broader family and asset-planning strategies.

Real estate

Real estate remains one of the strongest channels for this inflow.

Prime areas of Athens, the Athenian Riviera, the northern suburbs and selected island markets have seen sustained international interest from Golden Visa applicants as well as foreign buyers outside the programme.

Bank of Greece data show that net foreign direct investment in Greek real estate reached €2.0556 billion in 2025. Although lower than the previous year, the figure remains historically high and confirms the central role of property in Greece’s attractiveness to foreign capital.

For wealthy buyers, Greece combines several advantages: EU access, lifestyle appeal, relative value compared with older European wealth centres, and a luxury hospitality market that has expanded significantly in recent years.

A strategic destination

What the Henley & Partners and Knight Frank reports make clear is that Greece is no longer seen only through the lens of tourism, summer homes or lifestyle relocation.

It is increasingly viewed as a strategic destination: European, stable, accessible, culturally attractive and still comparatively underpriced against longer-established wealth centres.

In a world where money, families and business interests are moving faster than ever, that combination has become one of Greece’s strongest assets.