77.1% of young Greeks are ready to emigrate abroad in search of work

A new wave of brain drain is in the making, according to a new public opinion poll, as Greece’s youth do not want to stay in the country – 77.1% of them are ready to emigrate.

And the point is not only in the mood of young people, at least in the intention to move abroad in search of better working conditions and income.

According to a survey conducted March on behalf of diANEOsisthe vast majority of Greeks would emigrate abroad if they could find better working conditions in another country.

Young people are more likely to want to leave: 77.1% of young people aged 17-24 say they would emigrate abroad if they could find a better paying job. The percentage is also extremely high (71.9%) at the most productive age of 25-39 years.

Of the total population, 57.9% of Greeks say they would go abroad if they could find a job with higher pay and better conditions.

Detailed data from the diANEOsis study show the following:

• 57.9% of Greeks said they would emigrate abroad if they could find a job with higher pay and better conditions. The corresponding question was answered “definitely YES” by 38.1% and “probably YES” by 19.8%. NO and rather NO, answered 41.3% of respondents.
• 77.1% of young people aged 17-24 answered that they would emigrate abroad. 44.4% answered “definitely YES” and 32.7% “Probably YES”. No, and probably not only 21.6% of the respondents.
• 71.9% of people aged 25-39 say they would immigrate abroad. 36.9% answered “definitely YES” and 35.0% “probably YES”. NO and most likely NO was answered by 26.9% of respondents.
• 52.5% of people aged 40-54 answered that they would emigrate abroad. 33.2% answered “definitely YES” and 19.3% “probably YES”. NO and probably NO – 46.7% of respondents answered in the negative.
• 54.3% of people aged 55-64 answered that they would emigrate abroad. 42.9% answered “definitely YES” and 11.4% “Probably YES”. No, and probably not, 45.7% of respondents answered in the negative.
• 44.9% of people aged 65 and over also say they would emigrate abroad in search of better working conditions. 39.2% answered “definitely YES” and 5.7% “probably YES”. No, and probably not, answered 54.7% of respondents.

The findings are published in the second part of the DIANEosis study, titled What Greeks Believe 2022. The survey was conducted by the research company MARC AE on a representative sample of the population aged 17 and over (1254 people), using telephone interviews and online panels, between January 26 and February 5, 2022.