The annual Economist survey “Which economy did best,” recently published, places Greece in the sixth position in the global economic ranking for 2025. Despite initial concerns about economic slowdown due to Trump’s trade policies, forecasts show 3% GDP growth and low unemployment in developed economies, with inflation remaining the main challenge.
Economist: Portugal champions economic performance
For the fifth consecutive year, the authoritative British magazine compiled its “economy of the year” ranking by evaluating five critical factors: core inflation, price increase range, GDP growth, employment, and stock market returns. Portugal claimed the top spot thanks to its combination of dynamic economic growth, controlled inflation, and explosive stock market gains. Its exceptional performance is mainly attributed to the tourism boom and attraction of wealthy foreign investors through an attractive tax framework.
Greece maintains its presence at the top
Greece, champion of 2022 and 2023 according to the Economist, maintains its high position sharing sixth place with the Czech Republic. The Greek economy continues to demonstrate remarkable resilience and steady recovery trajectory following the crisis of the previous decade.
The ranking also highlights other Southern European countries that were severely tested during the 2010 crisis. Spain took fourth place with significant improvement across all indicators, while Ireland secured second place, although its data is influenced by the presence of international corporate giants.
Northern Europe: challenges and difficulties
Conversely, Northern and Northeastern European economies face serious difficulties. Estonia, Finland, and Slovakia occupy the bottom positions due to anemic growth and problematic inflation performance.
Germany shows marginal improvement compared to previous years but continues to rank low. The United Kingdom still struggles with elevated inflation, while France, despite political instability, records satisfactory overall performance.
International landscape and special cases
The US finds itself in the middle of the ranking as relatively high inflationary pressure reduces its overall score, despite a strong labor market. Israel stands out for its dynamic recovery and exceptional stock market returns, while Denmark records the worst market performance due to the steep decline of Novo Nordisk shares.
The overall picture confirms a clear shift of economic dynamism toward Southern Europe, at a time when significant parts of Northern Europe and major economies face persistent structural challenges.
