Real estate tax in Greece: how much we pay and what the situation looks like in Europe

Real estate tax In Greece, it remains a key source of budget revenue. Greece Included in the top 5 EU for real estate tax as a share in GDP.

Real estate tax and housing crisis

The situation in the European housing market remains tense. Real estate tax Often it becomes the subject of discussions: some require its reduction for stability, others – increase to restrain foreign demand or closed apartments. One thing is undoubted: this tax is the most important source of income for many EU countries.

Greece among leaders

According to data, in certain countries, such as Great Britain and France, real estate tax forms a significant share of GDP and tax revenues. Greece enters TOP-5 EU for real estate tax as a share of GDP and in TOP-3 by its share in the general tax system.

According to the budget of 2025, real estate tax revenues should amount to 2.394 billion euros, which is 40 million less than in 2024. The reason is a decrease Enfia By 20% for owners who insure housing (worth up to 500,000 euros) from natural disasters.

In the focus Δεθ

The topic will become one of the key on ΔεθWhere the Prime Minister will declare new measures. Programs are already valid: a return of one monthly rental payment to tenants with low and average income, mandatory payment of rent through banks from 2026, “freezing” of cadastral assessments until 2027, and maintaining a tax deduction up to 16,000 euros for housing renovation.

On the agenda – additional measures:

1. Reducing taxes on rental income. It is planned to adjust the scale: reduction of the rate of 15% for income up to 12,000 euros; The introduction of an intermediate level between 15% and 35% for income from 12.001 to 35,000 euros to stimulate honest declaration.
2. Anti-styles for empty houses. Banks and service will pay double Enfia for housing since 2026. For long -term empty apartments, “inaction tax” is discussed, which makes the storage of empty housing unprofitable.

Ενφια And the owners

In 2024, without a revision of cadastral assessments, the total value of real estate increased by 5.9 billion euros: from 772 billion to 778 billion. Real value – over 1 trillion euros. The largest share is among the inhabitants of Attica (411 billion euros). They pay more than half of the total Enfia.

In total, 7.159.900 physical and legal entities received notifications of payment. 990,000 owners were exempted from tax, so 2.3 billion euros are distributed between 6.1 million payers. Of these, 1.74 billion euros pay individuals, 565 million – a legal entity.

European picture

According to the European Commission, real estate tax as% GDP in the EU in 2023 varies from 0.3% (Czech Republic, Estonia) to 3.7% (France). The average indicator is 1.9%. Including the countries of the East and Turkey, the UK is at the France level (~ 3.7%).

Belgium – 3.2%. Greece takes 5th place-2.7%. More than 2% show Iceland, Luxembourg, Denmark, Switzerland, Italy, Portugal. In half the EU countries, the share below 1%. Germany – only 1%.

Revenues in numbers

Great Britain is a leader (115 billion euros), France – 104.5 billion, Italy – 45.3 billion, Germany – 41.4 billion, Spain – 36.8 billion. The EU collected 318.8 billion euros. Belgium-18.8 billion, Switzerland-17.9 billion, Netherlands-14.4 billion, Poland-10.7 billion Greece-in 12th place with 6.1 billion. The lowest income-Estonia (110 million euros).

Share in the tax system

In the EU, real estate tax as a share of taxes varies from 0.8% (Estonia, Czech Republic) to 8.4% (France). The average value is 4.7%. Greece – 7%. Also above 5%: Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Luxembourg, Italy, Denmark. In Germany – only 2.5%.

Taxes for transactions

Transfer taxes show the significance of the sale. In 2023 – 1% of GDP in Italy, 0.8% in Belgium, Portugal, Spain; 0.7% in France, 0.6% in the UK, 0.3% in Germany.

Discussions in the EU

Spain’s proposal for a 100%tax on the purchase of housing by citizens outside the EU caused lively debate. In May 2025, Pompeu Fabra University Professor Jose Garcia Montalvo said in the EP: “The lack of coordination between tax policy and measures of housing proposals undermines efficiency, creating unexpected effects and problems of accessibility.”

Dayana Khurani (OECR) noted that there is a great potential for improving housing taxes: “This can reduce the pressure on prices and make the system more fair.”

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