Western Greece
Gateway to Western Europe
Agriculture and tourism are main economic drivers
Western Greece, via the port of Patras, is seen as Greece’s gateway to markets in western Europe.
Western Greece comprises the western part of continental Greece and the northwestern part of the Peloponnese. Its main economic activities include tourism services and agriculture, with wine and olive oil production being particularly important as well as dairy products and fish farming – a traditional source of income and a major export sector.
Western Greece is developing its tourism sector with recent hotel investments, making it more attractive to visitors. The region is home to ancient Olympia, one of Greece’s most visited archaeological sites, and draws hundreds of cruise ship visits to the town of Katakolo.
The city of Patras, the capital of Western Greece, is home to the region’s major port and almost a third of the region’s population. The port is regarded as Greece’s gateway to western Europe, linking the country via ferry service to Italy – and onward – by road to major markets in northern Europe. Greece’s privatisation fund HRADF is set to roll ahead with procedures to launch tenders for the privatisation of the port throughout 2020.
The region is also considered an important driver within the scope of national innovation, having accounted for 6.3% of gross expenditure on research and development in 2015.
Key Facts
Western Greece
Home to Greece’s third largest city and major port, Patras
Site of ancient Olympia, one of Greece’s most popular tourist attractions
Potential hydrocarbon reserves onshore and in the waters off Western Greece
Tourism
Regional Opportunities
Tourism
Agri-Food
Energy
Growing off a low base, tourist arrivals have jumped 36% in two years.
Western Greece is emerging as a new tourism destination for the country, with recent investments in the northwestern Peloponnese helping to upgrade the tourism product. According to the Greek Tourism Confederation (SETE), the number of tourists visiting the region jumped to 699,000 in 2018, up from 513,000 two years earlier. The region is the site of ancient Olympia, one of Greece’s most popular tourist attractions. But overall, Western Greece attracts only about 2% of national tourist arrivals and collects just 1.4% of tourism receipts.
Learn more about Tourism in Greece
Western Greece
In Numbers
Western Greece is a major exporter of agricultural products, such as aquaculture, olive oil, and wine, helping to support the local economy.
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€8,322 million
GDP in 2018, in current prices
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€12,700
Per capita GDP in 2018, in current prices
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3rd
National ranking of the region’s port of Patras
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309 MW
Installed wind energy capacity in 2019 (HWEA)
Western Greece Demographics
Patras is Greece’s third largest city and accounts for one third of Western Greece’s population.
The city of Patras is the commercial hub of Western Greece and has been growing steadily in population over the last 20 years, with an estimated 213,984 inhabitants within the municipality based on the last census in 2011. It hosts two universities, a science park, and several research institutes that have drawn a large population of students and young workers. Every year, the city hosts its annual carnival, one of the largest in Europe.
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655,189
Population (2019)
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6.11%
Share of Greek population (2019)
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21.9%
Tertiary Educational Attainment of population aged between 25-64 (2018)
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59.6/km2
Population Density (2018)
Sources: Eurostat, Hellenic Statistical Authority, European Commission, Regional Governments, SETE, Enterprise Greece, and HWEA
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