International Living's 35th Annual Global Retirement Index has named Greece its number one retirement destination for 2026, the first time Greece has taken the top position. The index covers 24 countries across seven criteria and is one of the most widely cited rankings of its kind internationally.
This article summarises findings from International Living's 35th Annual Global Retirement Index 2026. All data and quoted figures are from that report unless otherwise stated. International Living is an independent publication and has no commercial relationship with Pelagos Private Office.
International Living has been publishing its Annual Global Retirement Index for 35 years, and in that time Greece has never taken the top position until now. The report named it a "Place to Watch" in 2022 and praised it in 2024, but the 2026 edition marks the definitive moment: Greece is described as "the this year's Index winner" and as "a place whose time has come again."
The index scores 24 countries across seven categories: housing, visas and benefits, cost of living, affinity, healthcare, development and governance, and climate. Greece ranked strongly across all seven. The report's summary is direct: "nowhere exemplifies that more than this year's Index winner, Greece."
The key data points from the International Living assessment are worth quoting directly, because they give a factual basis for claims that are often made loosely about the Greek market:
Greece is truly in the sweet spot: a robust economy, but still supremely affordable. A stock market that still probably has further to climb. Bargain properties, with the chance for a handsome return in a few years.
The International Living report highlights a specific tax incentive that is relevant to international buyers considering establishing tax residency in Greece. Qualifying foreign retirees pay a flat 7% tax on all foreign retirement income, including pensions and Social Security, for up to 15 years. A tax treaty between Greece and the United States prevents double taxation, meaning the 7% paid in Greece reduces US tax liability dollar for dollar.
This is a separate regime from the non-domicile flat-tax programme at €100,000 per year that applies to qualifying ultra-high-net-worth individuals, which has attracted the recent wave of hedge fund managers and high-profile relocations. The 7% flat rate is specifically for foreign retirement income and has a lower threshold to access it.
The report states explicitly that Greece has supplanted Portugal as the destination of choice for those seeking to invest in residential real estate and obtain EU residency. International Living's Chief Global Diversification Expert, Ted Baumann, is quoted: "Because it's a nation of islands and heavily indented peninsulas, Greece has far more capacity to accommodate foreign investors who want to buy or build properties near the sea."
The current Golden Visa threshold structure as reported:
A qualifying investment grants a five-year renewable residence permit with no requirement to live in Greece full-time. After seven years, EU citizenship becomes eligible, giving the automatic right to live and work across 27 countries.
The International Living ranking reflects Greece's current and sustained appeal. One factor not captured in the report, which was researched through the latter part of 2025, is the Greek government's September 2026 announcement of an increase in property transfer tax for non-EU buyers from 3% to 15%, provisionally from January 2027. This is not yet enacted into law, but buyers with near-term intentions should factor it into their timeline. On an €800,000 purchase, the difference between the current rate and the proposed rate is €96,000 before legal and notary costs.
The fundamental case for Greece as a place to live, invest and establish a life has never been stronger. The timing of any purchase, however, is now worth discussing with independent legal and tax advisers sooner rather than later.
Rankings like this matter beyond the obvious reason. When an authoritative, long-established independent publication puts Greece at the top of a global list, it changes the conversation. Clients who were vaguely curious become seriously interested. Family offices and private banks who were peripheral now have a client-facing reason to engage the question. And the market moves: more qualified buyers, better-informed competition for the most desirable properties.
For buyers who have been considering Greece, this moment confirms something the market has been signalling for three years. The question now is not whether Greece is the right choice but whether the right property can still be secured at the right price before both the market and the regulatory environment tighten further.
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