Greece’s exports continue to expand rapidly and are on track to reach a new record high this year, confirming their growing importance to the country’s economy and recovery.

According to the latest data from the Hellenic Statistical Authority, the total value of Greek goods and services jumped 27.9% on year in the nine months to September to €28.7 billion. Excluding volatile petroleum products and ships, exports were up 19.2% in the nine months. In September alone, Greek exports totaled €3.7 billion, up 43.2% from a year ago.

“Greek exports reached record levels in September 2021 with 9-month export performance surpassing all previous ones,” the Greek Exporters Association, SEVE, said in a statement. The data “show that we are heading towards an all-time record performance in 2021 and that the extroversion of businesses can − and should − be the focus of the recovery in the post-coronavirus era.”

Goods exports − from manufacturing to foods and beverages, from transport equipment to vegetable oils – saw across-the-board gains with increases ranging from 9.9% to 56.4% from a year ago. Based on its analysis, SEVE says that the value of goods exports in the nine months to September rose €6.2 billion from a year earlier, and were up by €3.3 billion compared with 2019, more than making up for losses experienced by exporters during the coronavirus pandemic.

Graph data source: Hellenic Statistical Authority