Greece’s public sector owed nearly €3.9 billion ($4,5 billion) to suppliers and taxpayers by March 2026, as overdue state payments and pending tax refunds rose sharply in the first three months of the year.
Overdue payments by the general government to private creditors reached €3.1 billion ($3,6 billion) in March, up by €526 million ($612 million) compared with December 2025. When pending tax refunds are included, the total amount owed by the state climbed to €3.869 billion ($4,5 billion), compared with €3.299 billion ($3,8 bllion) at the end of 2025.
The increase means Greece’s total liability to private creditors and taxpayers rose by €570 million ($663 million) in just three months, despite Finance Ministry instructions calling on general government entities to accelerate the settlement of outstanding obligations.
Public hospitals remained the largest source of overdue state payments. Their debts to suppliers rose to €1.59 billion ($1,8 billion) in March, up from €1.397 billion ($1,62 billion) at the end of 2025.
The increase of €193 million ($224 million) highlights the continued pressure on Greece’s public healthcare system and the private suppliers waiting to be paid.
Social security funds owed €668 million ($777 million) in March, compared with €606 million ($705 million) in February. The figure was broadly unchanged from the €666 million ($775 million) recorded at the end of 2025.
The total includes €199 million ($231 million) owed by EOPYY, the National Organization for Healthcare Services Provision, which remains unresolved.
Overdue payments by local government bodies, including municipalities and regional authorities, stood at €412 million ($479 million) in March. That was down by €34 million ($39 million) from February.
However, the figure was still sharply higher than the €180 million ($209 million) recorded at the end of 2025, when year-end budget disbursements had temporarily reduced the backlog.
Other public legal entities also recorded a rise in overdue debts, which increased from €165 million ($192 million) in February to €200 million ($232 million) in March.
Greek ministries collectively owed €199 million ($231 million). The Ministry of Migration and Asylum accounted for €70 million ($81 million) of that amount, while the Ministry of Shipping and Island Policy owed €64 million ($74 million).
Pending tax refunds also increased in the first quarter of 2026, reaching €766 million ($891 million) in March from €722 million ($840 million) at the end of 2025.
Of that amount, €329 million ($383 million) concerned refunds delayed by more than 90 days. Roughly half of those cases were linked to missing documentation or a lack of response from eligible recipients.
