Do you want to know more about sex in Greece?
Made up of thousands of Islands in the Ionian and Aegean Seas, Greece is home to a population of 10.75 million people. Though it’s influence has diminished since it was first referred to as the ‘cradle of Western civilisation’, Greece has been an important part of shaping European culture for many millennia.
In this guide, we shine a spotlight on the Greek sex industry (including porn and prostitution) as well as looking at the social and cultural attitudes towards sex in general. We also look at LGBTQ rights and the dating scene in this southern European nation.
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Sex in Greece
There are a lot of preconceptions of the Greek nation, some of which are true and others are pure myth so let’s start with a quick run-down of the general cultural profile.
Greek people are very proud of their country and their heritage and there is some truth in the belief that they think the world is envious of them. This pride has taken a huge dent since the economic crash of 2007/2008 but they still retain a fierce loyalty for their country.
They are a warm and generous nation with family and friends being a very important part of daily life, and families in Greece are big!
90% of the population belong to the Greek Orthodox Church though fewer are practising members of the religion. The influence of the Church is not invasive but does hold sway when it comes to morality in society. A Christian faith, there is strong belief in the institution of marriage and the family; however, public opinion towards this as a strictly heterosexual state is waning (see LGBTQ Rights below).
Though the modern Greek appearance has influences from other nations, there is still a ‘classic’ Greek look which is very appealing to some. The proud nose, thick lips, dark eyes and long lashes accompanied by thick dark hair and olive skin is still typical.
Greek men in particular have a reputation for being flirtatious, sometimes crossing the line to creepy, and have topped a list of the boldest and flirty nations (Source: The Greeks, Eroticism and Ourselves, 2004). Italy comes second followed by Egypt and Brazil. The only other European ntaions to make the list were Spain (6th), France (8th) and Russia (10th).
This confidence underpins much of the Greek outlook on life and they do things ‘large and loud’ and can be extremely competitive.
According to the 2005 Global Sex Survey, conducted by the condom manufacturer Durex, the following sex stats were found to be true;
- The average age to lose virginity is 17.5 years old.
- The average number of sexual partners is 10.6 which is higher than the worldwide average of 9.
- Greeks were having the most amount of sex a reputed rate of 138 times a year. This is higher than the global average of 103 and far more the lowest ranked European nation of Sweden at 92. Only 3% of the surveyed population say they have a low sex drive. However, 35% would like sex more frequently!
- 43% of Greeks are happy with their sex lives with 46% stating they are open minded about sex.
- Just 14% of Greeks admit to being experimental with sex aids but two in five would like to be inspired and look for new ideas.
When it comes to sexual experiences:
- 15% of Greeks have had an extra marital affair
- 17% have tried a threesome
- 9% have had a same-sex experience
- 5% have tried sadomasochism
- 4% have tried tantric sex
- 31% have used some form of bondage during sex
- 55% have tried anal sex – yes, that’s over half of all Greeks do ‘Greek’
- 54% have had a one-night stand
- 52% have had sex in a car, 31% in a parents bedroom, 31% in a garden, 29% at a party and 27% in the toilet. Just 2% can claim membership to the ‘Mile-High Club’ and 11% have had sex on camera.
Since the economic crash of 2007/2008, many media reports suggest that the Greek libido is flagging as financial stress bites hard. However, our investigations show that the Greeks seem to be enjoying a very active and adventurous sex life.
Sex education in Greece is generally considered to be good though there are factions of the Orthodox Church who are against the exposure of children to information of homosexuality and, what is seen by some as, the ‘leftist’ curriculum.
The 2005 Global Sex Survey found that the average age that Greek’s receive their first sex education is 13.2 years old; this is exactly the same as the global average. In Germany, this is 11.3 years old whereas in Vietnam, this is 16. Most of the Greek’s surveyed in this poll though that children should receive the education earlier, at the age of 12.
In the same report, Greece came second on the list of countries when it comes to unprotected sex with a staggering 70% of Greeks engaging in this unsafe practice. The global average is 47% with citizens in India, Hong Kong and Spain being the least likely to take risks in this area.
11% of respondents reported suffering from an STI at some point in their life which is, surprisingly, lower than the international average of 13%.
Those polled believed that greater public awareness was needed on the following STIs:
- Chlamydia – 19% agree
- Genital warts (HP V) – 38% agree
- Gonorrhoea – 21% agree
- Hepatitis – 70% agree
- Herpes – 43% agree
- HIV/AIDS – 92% agree
- Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) – 14% agree
- Syphilis – 46% agree
- Trichomoniasis – 13% agree
Only 1% of people surveyed had never heard of any of these infections/diseases.
Adult Industry in Greece
Pornography in Greece is legalised and there are a couple of adult porn studios in the country, most notably Sirina Entertainment.
Founded in 2000 by Dimitris Sirinakis, Sirina Entertainment was the first Greek adult production company with an international appeal. Marketing homegrown talent, the company produces and distributes its own content. Though it mostly finds appreciation with a local audience, there is some demand on the export market.
The company has won several awards including the ‘Best Development for Eroticism in Greece 2004 and an honorary award for contribution to art at the 7th Festival of Greek Cult Cinema 2008.
In 2007, the company moved into print media with both a newspaper and magazine and in 2013 launched its adult TV service, Sirina TV HD.
As with much of Europe, the current trend of professional pornography is being produced in places like the Czech Republic, Germany and Denmark. Some performers move to the United States where pay can be significantly better.
There is also a growing market in Greece for amateur porn including live-camming.
Top Greek Porn Stars
Very few Greek porn stars are well known outside of their own country with the top porn star (as ranked by XVideos), Inna Sirina failing to make the top 2000 European’s and is ranked a lowly 7424 in the world.
She and her husband, Teo, were originally performing as amateurs but went professional in 2011, filming Orgia sto KTEP. Sirina has gone on to work for FTV MILFs in the US and won the DDF Productions Best Newcomer Award in 2016.
The country has produced a lot of its own domestic stars and they are popular in both Greece and Cyprus.
Sirina Entertainment produced the results of a poll of the nation’s top five porn stars in 2015 as being:
- Julia (or Tzoulia) Alexandratou: A popular media personality, socialite and singe, Julia is not a porn star in the classic sense but was at the centre of a celebrity sex tape scandal in 2010. She later admitted to being paid to do it and has since released other titles.
- Mariana Ntouvli: Another local celebrity, Ntouvli starred in an AVN Award nominated film in 2015 ‘My Wife’s Seduction’ that was filmed in Santorini.
- Voula Vavatsi: Vavatsi has made several films which have made her a firm favourite in Greece and has earned herself a reputation for being ‘cock-hungry’.
- Christina Roussaki: Roussaki comes from a journalism background but has starred in several Sirnina productions and is known for her anal and threesome scenes.
- Maria Alexandrou: Maria is one of the kinkiest porn stars in Greece and an exclusive Sirina Entertainment model
According to XVideos, the top three porn stars from Greece are as follows:
Performer | Total Video Views | European Ranking | World Ranking |
Inna Sirina (aka Inna Innaki) | 1,645,794 | 2222 | 7424 |
Jessica Ivan | 335,248 | 3124 | 10142 |
Jasmine Andreas | 70,071 | 4030 | 12741 |
Vannah Sterling, aka Cocktomom is an American porn star of Greek descent who outperforms all performers on this list and is ranked 594th in the world (according to XVideos).
Lastly, we couldn’t end a report on Greek porn stars without tipping a nod to the guys and Greece has produced their own legend of porn in the form of Kostas Gousgounis. Born in 1931, Kostas was a big star in the 1970s and 1980s. He has achieved cult status for his work with some regarding his as semi-divine. Men growing up in this period almost deified him and there is no denying his influence on how Greek men of the era try to emulate his charm.
Prostitution Laws in Greece
Prostitution is both legal and regulated in Greece and women over the age of 18 may enter the world of sex work as long as they:
- Are unmarried.
- Be free from mental illness and drug addiction.
- Do not have an STI.
- Have the right to live and work in Greece.
- Do not have a criminal conviction.
Women who meet these requirements may register for a permit and can work in any of the state-run brothels.
There are estimated to be over 800 brothels in Greece though only a few hundred of these are licensed. The state holds around 1000 licenses for prostitutes, but it is estimated that more than 20,000 women are working illegally in the trade.
Due to the economic downturn in Greece following the financial crisis of 2007-2008, many married women turned to prostitution as a way to earn money to help support their families. Due to the regulations insisting that prostitutes be unmarried, the number of illegal brothels and street prostitution has risen in the country.
As a result of more supply than demand, the price of sex in Greece has fallen dramatically, sparking recent headlines that punters could pay for sex at a price as low as €2, with the average being €15.
Street prostitution is illegal but common and many cities have red-light hotspots that attract hookers and johns in large volumes.
Escorting is also legal and there is a good number of agencies and Pan-European directories that cover the country. Prices for outcall services from an escort are higher than in brothels.
Greece Porn Viewing Trends
The global mega porn hosting site, Pornhub receives 28.5 billion visits each year and transfers data at a rate of 10 million GB each day. Each year, they company produces a review of national porn viewing trends with the last report on Greece produced in October 2017.
Worldwide, the volume of traffic from Greece to the Pornhub site ranks the country 24th.
Greek porn viewers show more than the typical amount of nationalism when it comes to searching for porn with the top search terms being:
- Greek
- Greek Celebrity
- Greek Porn
- Greek Amateur
- Elliniko (a suburb of Athens)
- Lesbian
- Step Mom
- Mom
- MILF
- Athens
- Step Sister
- Foot Job
- Santorini (Greek island)
- Greek MILF
- Anal
- Teen
- Greek pornstars
- Threesome
No surprises then that the most searcher for porn star on the site is Greek. However, there is also a good appetite for American ‘glamour’ porn stars too. The top ten most searched performers were:
- Tzoulia Alexandratou (Greek)
- Mia Khalifa (American/Lebanese)
- Lisa Ann (American)
- Inna Innaki (Greek)
- Brandi Love (American)
- August Ames (Canadian)
- Nicole Aniston (American)
- Asa Akira (Asian American)
- Kendra Lust (American)
- Marianna Ntouvli (Greek)
One thing that sets Greece aside in its porn viewing trends is the time of day when most traffic is registered to the site. Worldwide, the most popular time of day to hit porn sites is late at night with the time period 10.00pm to midnight being the favourite time. In Greece, traffic is heavier in the afternoons with 3.00pm to 5.00pm being the most popular time. Recent Eurostat figures suggest that Greeks work a longer week than the European average….now we know why!
In a nutshell, here are some statistics about Greek visitors to Pornhub:
- The average age of porn viewers is 34 which is roughly average. However, far more under 35s watch porn in Greece. This demographic accounts for 64%; the global average is just 46%.
- 21% of porn viewers are female (global average is 26%)
- The average time spent on the site is 10 minutes and 23 seconds which is almost a full minute longer than the global time.
- The least popular day to watch porn is Thursday with the most popular being Saturday.
- 52% of porn is watched on a mobile device.
Neighbouring Cyprus also have a fondness for Greek porn and was the most popular search for Cypriots in 2017. Also gaining in popularity in Cyprus was the term ‘Greek pornstars’ which was up 242% on 2016’s search results.
Of course, Pornhub is not the only adult website frequented by Greek porn afficianados and a quick check on SimilarWeb reveals that:
- Xnxx is the 9th most popular website in Greece receiving almost as many visitors as Wikipedia.
- Pornhub is the 11th most popular website in Greece and is frequented more often than Twitter
- XVideos is the 13th most popular website in Greece beating the country’s 4 biggest news and media channels
- XHamster is the 23rd most popular website in Greece receiving more traffic than imdb
In a country marred by its recent economic crisis, it is pertinent to note that all four popular porn tube sites are receiving more visitors than the top ranked finance and banking site, Winbank.
Top Greek Porn
If you are looking for a taste of Greek porn then all of the popular tube sites have a lot of clips tagged with the word, ‘Greek’, including:
Just be aware that sometimes the term ‘Greek’ means anal so you may end up with more rear entry action than you’d bargained for!
There are also some niche websites which specialise in Greek pornography that will also bring up some good results, though most of these are amateur only.
LGBTQ in Greece
For many, Greece is the ancient home of homosexuality; the term lesbian is derived from the Greek island of Lesbos, home to the celebrated poet Sappho, and anal sex is called ‘going Greek’ due to the ancient culture of sodomy. In classical times, it was common for men to have same-sex relationships and they were a socially acceptable way of life. Homosexuality in the military was almost a duty and was seen to lift morale.
The Ancient Greeks were far less interested in gender and sexuality but rather more taken by the notion of dominance and subservience in who was penetrating whom. The participants in a sexual act would assume the role of penetrator based on status, age, wealth and masculinity rather than biological gender.
However, the country has seen centuries of contradictions on the issue of same-sex relationships and has also seen periods when homosexuality was outlawed and diversity was far from celebrated. Orthodox views held by the church were largely responsible for influencing laws and attitudes.
The turning of the tide towards a more liberal Greece happened in the 1950s when male homosexuality was once again made legal (female homosexuality was never illegal). However, it wasn’t until 2015 that the age of consent was equalised.
Homosexuality was declassified as a mental illness in 1990 and both transgenderism and transvestism followed suit in 2017.
Just as the rest of Europe’s LGBTQ community has had to fight for equality over the last few decades, campaigners in Greece have also had to battle for legal rights.
The current legislation in Greece can be summarised as follows:
- Same-sex civil unions have been legal since 2015 however same-sex marriage is not recognised. The change in law was supported by 70% of the population at the time.
- Transgendered persons may legally change their gender however it wasn’t until 2017 that sex reassignment surgery and sterilisation were a condition of this right. The Act was passed by a comfortable majority in parliament.
- LGBTQ members may serve openly in the military.
- Same sex couples may not adopt children, but single LGBTQ persons have been able to since 1996.
- Comprehensive anti-discrimination protection has existed specifically for the LGBTQ community since 2005 (employment), 2014 (all other aspects of the law).
- Sex education must cover gender identity and sexuality since 2017
A recent poll conducted in December 2016 showed that half of the population are in favour of allowing same-sex marriage, markedly the majority of support was shows from the younger population (64% of 17-24 year olds were in favour vs just 30% of those over 65).
LGBTQ visitors to the country can expect to find vibrant social and entertainment scenes in the major tourist destinations like Athens, Mykonos, Lesbos, Santorini, Thessaloniki and Skiathos. Gay-friendly hotels, spas, saunas and clubs can be found throughout these areas and the local attitudes are mostly very warm and welcoming. Certainly the shift in the country’s economics has made tourism even more essential and the ‘pink Euro’ is as valued as any other.
According to a 2016 poll conducted by ILGA Europe intended to assess LGBT Rights across Europe, Greece achieved the best improvement for the year 2015.
Overall, Greece has good LGBTQ rights and the country has a predominantly liberal minded attitude towards homosexuality and diversity of gender and sexual orientation. However, the community does still face discrimination and homophobia. Some of this can be traced to senior sources in politics, religious authorities and even in the media. Activists are still working hard to lobby parliament for change towards true equality and continue to use events like Pride to make the community’s voices heard.
Top Classified/Personals Sites in Greece
Greeks are big on dating and casual sex is almost a national pastime with over half of the nation having had a one-night stand. Dating foreigners is also fine but there is a strong culture of traditional views when it comes to serious relationships and marriage. As a a result, there are many Greek women who will only date Greek men for a long term commitment.
Fortunately the popular tourist destinations can often attract women who enjoy casual sex with holidaymakers.
The top five most popular dating sites in Greece are:
A few of these sites are premium service with more of a leaning towards serious match making than casual encounters (Perfect Date, Parea and Mamba). However, there are some free services that offer a great way to find singles in Greece.
Of course, there are also the personal classifieds like Craigslist that have specific categories for no-strings attached fun.
Featured image via Pixabay.