Lazy Greek stereotype

The "lazy Greek" stereotype is the stereotype that Greek people work less than people of other European countries.[2] The stereotype has been used to attack Greece during the Greek economic crisis.[1]

Characteristics

In the stereotype, Greek people are characterized as "lazy and irresponsible", not needing to work for their money and instead receiving money through bailouts by the European Union.[1] Greeks may be portrayed as greedy, such as in the demand by German tabloid Bild for "no more billions for greedy Greeks".[3]

Other Southern European countries, such as Spain and Portugal, have also been deemed "lazy"[4] — Greece and these countries, along with Italy and/or Ireland, have been grouped in the acronym PIGS to describe their economies during the debt crisis.[5]

Examples

In 2010, Anders Borg, Sweden's Finance Minister, said that "Obviously, Swedes and other taxpayers should not have to pay for Greeks who choose to retire in their 40s."[3]

The German tabloid Bild claimed that "Greece, but also Spain and Portugal have to understand that hard work – meaning ironfisted money-saving – comes before the siesta."[6]

A 2015 BBC report interviewed some Greeks in Germany who described claims about Greeks they had heard, such as that "we [Germans] pay for you" and that Greeks were "...so lazy, [they] don't like to work."[7]

Statistics

Contrary to the stereotype, 2013 data from the OECD showed that Greeks had the highest amount of working hours per week on average.[3][8] Pascal Marianna, a labor market statistician at the OECD, has said that this is because "The Greek labour market is composed of a large number of people who are self-employed, meaning farmers and — on the other hand — shop-keepers who are working long hours."[9]

Legacy

In a 2025 interview, Angela Merkel, the former Chancellor of Germany, condemned the stereotype, but said that she would not apologize for how she handled the debt crisis.[1]

In a contrast to the stereotype, in 2025 German Chancellor Friedrich Merz praised Greece's work ethic compared to Germany in a conversation with Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.[10]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Martin, Natalie (2025-07-04). "Merkel: It Hurt Me to Hear People Call Greeks Lazy - But I Won't Apologise for the Crisis Response". Greek City Times. Retrieved 2026-03-07.
  2. ^ Kontrafouri, Filio (December 3, 2024). "New Reports Dispel Stereotype of "Lazy" Greeks". Greek Reporter. Retrieved March 7, 2026.
  3. ^ a b c "Greek bailout talks: Are stereotypes of lazy Greeks true?". BBC News. 2015-03-10. Retrieved 2026-03-07.
  4. ^ Böll, Sven; Böcking, David (2011-05-19). "The Myth of a Lazy Southern Europe: Merkel's Clichés Debunked by Statistics". Der Spiegel. ISSN 2195-1349. Retrieved 2026-03-12.
  5. ^ Van Vossole, Jonas (2016). "Framing PIGS: patterns of racism and neocolonialism in the Euro crisis". Patterns of Prejudice. 50 – via ResearchGate.
  6. ^ Team, Blog (2015-07-21). "German public opinion is caught between scapegoating Greeks and love-bombing them - LSE European Politics". LSE European Politics - Bridging research, policy and public debate on Europe. Retrieved 2026-03-14.
  7. ^ "How do Greeks in Germany feel amid the debt crisis?". BBC News. 2015-07-08. Retrieved 2026-03-14.
  8. ^ "Average usual weekly hours worked on the main job". data-explorer.oecd.org. Retrieved 2026-03-14.
  9. ^ "Are Greeks the hardest workers in Europe?". BBC News. 2012-02-26. Retrieved 2026-03-14.
  10. ^ "Merz calls on Germans to work more — and draws a withering backlash". POLITICO. 2026-02-12. Retrieved 2026-03-14.

Further reading

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