Summers in Southeastern Europe are becoming longer and more oppressive, fundamentally altering daily life. A sobering new analysis by the Climate Change Impacts Study Committee of the Bank of Greece, alongside findings from the latest Lancet Countdown report, warns that Greece is at the forefront of a worsening climate crisis.
According to Christos Zerefos, head of the Research Center for Atmospheric Physics and Climatology at the Academy of Athens, global temperatures have consistently breached the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C threshold since 2023. This warming trend heavily impacts Greece, a global climate hotspot.
A 23-year analysis of local data reveals that every 1°C increase in maximum daily temperature leads to a 2% increase in excess mortality. Researchers warn that if current trajectories continue, heatwaves will claim between 1,400 and 2,000 additional lives in Greece every summer by 2040. This human toll translates to an estimated economic loss of €5 billion to €8 billion annually.
Greece within the highest European tiers for heat-related mortality
The Lancet report places nearly all of Greece within the highest European tiers for heat-related mortality. The Attica region is particularly vulnerable, alongside parts of Crete like Lasithi, which now experience up to 2.5 months of extreme drought per year. Nationally, heat-related deaths increased by more than 120 per million inhabitants annually between 2015 and 2024 compared to the 1991–2000 baseline.
Beyond mortality, the climate crisis is reshaping Greece’s economy and public health. Athens is among the European cities worst affected by labor productivity losses, with rising temperatures reducing the labor supply by roughly 24 hours per worker annually. Furthermore, warmer conditions have accelerated the spread of climate-sensitive diseases. Southern Europe has seen a 74% spike in dengue fever transmission risks and a 127% increase in West Nile virus epidemic risks.
Experts stress that low-income households and outdoor laborers bear the brunt of these changes, facing heightened risks of food insecurity and wildfire exposure. Researchers urgently call for upgraded healthcare funding and a decisive transition toward a carbon-neutral economy to mitigate the looming crisis.
