Demographics of Greece

The dilemma of changing population numbers

Last update October 19, 2022

ELSTAT counts Greece population at 10,432,481 people

Estimated population 10.72 million (2020) people (new data coming in December 2022 from The Hellenic Statistical Authority web site)

Alarming demographic data for Greece

October 19, 2022: story at IN GR [Greek]

Find more statistics at Statista

Mitsotakis to speak on "Demographics, the great challenge"

June 6, 2022: Story at Imerisia [Greek]

Demographics predict "third world takeover"

Story at OT Financial Post [Greek]

July 11, 2022

Demographics: Greece drops 400K people since 2011

Data at OT Financial Post [Greek]

July 10, 2022

Demographics a "ticking time bomb"

Story at AA [English]

June 30, 2022

Mitsotakis to speak on "Demographics, the great challenge"

Story at Imerisia [Greek]

June 8, 2022

Feb 2021: The demographic crisis

Story at Protothema [English]

July 2020: Demographic pressures continue as birth rates decline

Story at Cyclades 24 [Greek]

February 4, 2020: Shrinking demographics prompts benefit to promote childbirth

Story at UK Guardian [English] and at Newsweek [English]

June 17, 2019: European life expectancy expected to expand

Demographics at Ethnos [Greek]

October 19, 2018: Population decrease on the horizon

Another report on the negative numbers for future Greece demographics - Story at Greek Reporter.

August 23, 2018:

Greece’s Biggest Headwind May Be Its Demographics - Wall Street Journal [English] [Paywall]

Dec 9, 2013:

Dismal Demographics of Greece - NY Times

"The Greeks are in a struggle for survival. And the odds are piling up against us ...Deaths are outnumbering births, people are leaving the country, and the population is aging so fast that in a few decades Greece may be unable to produce enough wealth to take care of its people..."

The anaylsis at the NY Times shows that the chief problem is that the aged population is now outnumbering working age people in many villages, and the problem is only due to get worse.

Article by Nikos Konstandaras focuses on how younger adults are choosing to only have one child (if any). Joining the EU has turned out to be a two-edged sword on more than just loan money and bank-book balances, as Greece has quickly shifted into the declining birth-rate norm of Europe.

However, Konstandaras does hold out two aces in the Greek back pocket: a loyal diaspora that funnels wealth back home, and a hoped for imigration reform that allows an offset of incoming foreign immigrants.

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