Greece retained its leading position in Europe for the fastest growth in mobile data usage in 2024, according to the annual Tefficient report, which tracks mobile data trends across forty markets, including in Greece.
The country’s mobile data consumption rose 38 percent year-on-year, the highest among European nations. Belgium followed with a 32 percent increase, while Portugal, Tunisia, and the Czech Republic each posted a 28 percent rise.
At the other end of the spectrum, Croatia saw the smallest growth at just only 2 percent, with Germany, Qatar, Finland, and South Korea posting modest increases of 4 to 5 percent. Overall, growth rates across most countries are slowing, and absolute increases in gigabytes per subscription were lower in 2024 compared to 2023.
Data-only subscriptions driving traffic
Subscriptions dedicated solely to data—including fixed wireless access (FWA)—represent roughly 10 percent of Greece’s mobile subscriber base but generate 2.8 times more traffic than the average subscription. This segment is a key driver of overall mobile data usage and a major factor behind the country’s top growth ranking.
In a rare occurrence, Greek mobile providers saw an increase in the average revenue per user (ARPU) while the price per gigabyte fell dramatically. Tefficient’s analysis indicates that the ARPU in Greece reached around €14, slightly below the international benchmark of €15, placing the country in the middle range of European markets. Meanwhile, the price per GB dropped 26 percent compared to 2023—the largest decline internationally.
How mobile data consumption in Greece outpaced costs
The trend reflects the rapid surge in data consumption in Greece. As users consumed more data (+38 percent), operators offered larger packages without proportionally increasing per-unit prices. For example, in 2023, a typical user consumed 10 GB per month and paid €12, or €1.20 per GB.
In 2024, consumption doubled to 20 GB, while the monthly cost rose to only €14, bringing the cost per GB down to €0.70. Providers thus earned more overall per subscriber, even as revenue per gigabyte declined.
This combination of rising consumption and increased ARPU is globally uncommon and marks a significant turnaround for Greece, which only three years ago had the highest cost per gigabyte in Europe. The data suggests that affordable mobile data can lead to higher usage and stronger revenues for telecom operators.
