The need for meritocracy, a decent income, good working conditions, a reliable state, and, above all, a sense of security for their future were some of the key findings raised by Greeks in a survey carried out for in.gr and presented at the Brain Retain, Regain Forum.

The survey, based on a sample of over 800 Greeks (male and female) aged between 20 and 50 working in the country (73%) and abroad (27%), revealed that the trend of Greeks opting to leave the country for better job opportunities and life prospects had not abated, with a large portion still seriously exploring the prospect of emigrating.

An average of 7.9% of those living abroad stated they were satisfied with their life, compared to 5.7% living in Greece, which appears to be a recurring response across multiple studies over the past years.

Those living abroad tend to have a much stronger sense of positive outlook and optimism compared to those residing in Greece. This points directly to a prevailing sense of low expectations for the future within the country.

The findings also highlighted the notable real income disparity between those living abroad and those in Greece, reflected in their ability to put money aside. Measuring the totality of those queried, 40% responded they were able to save money to some degree, 32% stated they managed to get by, while a large 26% said they ran out of money before the end of the month.

The picture became even more disheartening when breaking down the number between those abroad and those in Greece, as 89% of the former were able to save money, compared to a meager 21% living in Greece.

The majority of the sample expressed a clear sense of deeper dissatisfaction and disappointment with the overall direction of the country, with 65% believing that things are heading in the wrong direction, while only 14% say they are moving in the right one.

When it comes to how respondents view their career prospects in Greece, the overall sentiment is quite negative, with a large share describing them as “moderate” or “poor.” Specifically, 51% rate their prospects as poor or very poor, 37% as moderate, and only 11% believe they would have good or very good job opportunities in Greece.

Interestingly, negative responses are significantly higher among those living abroad—72% of whom believe their job prospects in Greece would be poor or very poor. In other words, people living outside the country largely feel that Greece would not offer them viable career opportunities—an outlook that helps explain why many ultimately choose to remain abroad.

On the question of what sectors provided the best opportunities for careers in Greece, both those living in Greece and abroad responded: tourism, hospitality, and hotels, with 68% and 74%, respectively. Regarding career prospects in the IT and telecommunication sectors in Greece, only 26% of those abroad responded positively compared to 40% of those in Greece.

Forty percent of respondents say they are considering the possibility of emigrating, while 11% have emigrated in the past and returned. Another 31% have considered it but ultimately ruled it out, and only 17% say they have never thought about leaving the country.