Are Greeks in favor of gender equality? What do they think about abortions, and where do they stand on the separation of church and state? These are some of the many questions Progressive Lab, a survey, attempted to shed light on in a nationwide survey carried out by aboutpeople, a political and social research company.

The study also sought to determine how the respondents perceived the terms “progressive” and “conservative” and where they stood on the political-ideological spectrum.

More than half of respondents (56.5%) describe themselves as “rather progressive,” according to the findings of the survey.

Interestingly, this group is mainly composed of women, younger people, highly educated individuals, residents of Attica, non-religious respondents, and those in the middle or upper economic classes. They cluster more toward the left and center-left in their political affiliations.

The term “progressive” is viewed positively by 61.7% of respondents, while only 5.7% see it negatively. By contrast, “conservative” carries a negative connotation for 34% and a positive one for 17.2%.

What counts as progressive?

Issues most strongly associated with progressivism include mandatory sex education in schools (4.34/5), state-backed social housing (4.14), gender equality (4.13), and a full separation of church and state (4.11).

Conversely, the death penalty (2.28) and banning abortions without medical grounds (2.00) are seen as clearly conservative positions.

Attitudes and preferences

On yes-or-no questions, large majorities favor gender equality (91.2%), abolishing the ENFIA property tax (85.2%), sex education (83.5%), and social housing (82.7%). Support is far lower for reinstating the death penalty (35.5%), legalizing recreational cannabis (33.7%), and banning abortions without health-related reasons (19.8%).

Meanwhile, most Greeks say taxation is excessive (86.6%), want a guaranteed income for all (81.9%), and believe essential goods like water and electricity should remain exclusively public (80.9%).

The core of progressivism

Respondents most often link progressive politics with human rights (34.2%), the welfare state (33.8%), fighting inequality (32.3%), modernization (31.6%), and social progress (29.4%). Among those identifying as “rather progressive,” social progress ranks as the top priority (34.1%).

Ideologically, social democracy is the most dominant among the general public (18.3%), followed by liberalism (16.7%) and democratic socialism (15.2%). Among progressives, support rises for social democracy (24.3%) and democratic socialism (21.2%).

Trust and social attitudes

Trust remains highest in family (94.3%) and friends (83.7%), but drops to around 45% for people of different nationalities or religions. Those identifying as “rather progressive” show greater tolerance, reporting higher levels of trust across all categories.

The findings suggest that in Greek society in 2025, progressivism is primarily associated with human rights, social equality, and state modernization. Citizens who identify as progressive strongly support issues such as gender equality, church-state separation, and social housing, while distancing themselves from more conservative positions.