More than 300,000 pensioners work in Greece: an eightfold rise after the removal of the 30% penalty

More than 300,000 pensioners in Greece are currently working, according to e-EFKA data for September 2026 published by Skai with APE-MPE as the source — about eight times more than the roughly 36,000 who had declared employment under the old regime.

The reason, as e-EFKA officials explain, is Article 114 of Law 5078/2023, which removed the 30% cut to the pension for pensioners who continue to work (in force until 31 December 2023); in its place a resource/contribution in favour of e-EFKA was introduced, with exemptions.

The new framework entered into force on 1 January 2024. Declared employment also strengthens social insurance revenues and curbs undeclared work.

In figures: 354,131 employment declarations were submitted by pensioners in September 2026 (one pensioner may have more than one declaration) — 99,179 as salaried employees, 76,130 as freelancers and self-employed, 139,321 farmers, plus smaller groups (1,146 salaried engineers and paid lawyers, 1,745 paid through service invoices, 1,184 and 247 through the ergoshmo schemes of the former IKA-ETAM and OGA, 721 employed in General Government bodies under the age of 62).

Of the total, 191,919 are men and 120,800 are women; 287,360 are old-age pensioners, 23,687 receive a disability pension and 1,194 are old-age pensioners due to disability under Law 612/1977.