Since 2005, Greece has experienced a population decline, dropping from 11.23 million people to 10.42 million in 15 years. The most recent projections show a continuation of this decline, resulting in a population of 9.03 million by 2050 and 6.61 million by 2099.
From 2019 to 2020, Greece’s population declined 0.48%, losing over 50,000 people. The main reasons for Greece’s population declining are a very low fertility rate of 1.3 births per woman, financial crisis, emigration, and an aging population. The decline in the birth rate can be caused by education levels, the economic crisis, women’s unemployment, and the government’s inability or unwillingness to encourage fertility.
With fewer people in Greece, there is less economic stimulation, fewer people working due to an aging population, and more people emigrating to other nations, creating a cyclical effect on the population decline.
Greece is currently experiencing a declining birthrate, with hospitals reporting 10% fewer births in the past 4 years. Officials say that families simply can't afford to have children. The number of live births in the country has fallen nearly 15% and it's been unparalleled in Europe, highlighting the true impact of cost-cutting measures in the country that is at the heart of the Eurozone's financial problems.
It’s easy to point to the current Eurozone Crisis which is affecting Greece and other countries across the world. As a result, it may be simple to deduce that fewer foreign nationals are coming to set up home here. The country has often been seen as a haven for migration but the numbers involved may not be as significant as some have thought.
The declining population of Greece is expected to stay on that trajectory in the years to come, losing more people each year- however, the decreases aren't massive. Current projections believe that the 2019 annual growth rate of -0.16% will decrease to -0.5% by 2050. With decreases this small, the changes in population won't be too dramatic. The same set of predictions believe that the population of Greece will be 11,102,572 in 2020, 10,783,625 in 2030, 10,451,869 in 2040 and 9,981,568 in 2050.
| Greece Population (as of 8/16/2024) | 10,024,988 |
| Last UN Estimate (July 1, 2024) | 10,047,817 |
| Births per Day | 196 |
| Deaths per Day | 345 |
| Migrations per Day | -336 |
| Net Change per Day | -486 |
| Population Change Since Jan. 1 | -111,294 |
Net decrease of 1 person every 2.97 minutes
Population estimates based on interpolation of data from World Population Prospects
| One birth every 7.35 minutes | |
| One death every 4.17 minutes | |
| One emigrant every 4.28 minutes | |
| Net loss of one person every 2.97 minutes |
City | 2024 Population |
|---|---|
| Athens | 664,046 |
| Thessaloniki | 354,290 |
| Patra | 168,034 |
| Piraeus | 163,688 |
| Larisa | 144,651 |
| Peristeri | 139,981 |
| Irakleion | 137,154 |
| Kallithea | 100,641 |
| Acharnes | 99,346 |
| Kalamaria | 91,617 |
Greece is a beautiful country in southeast Europe that is made up of the mainland in addition to thousands of smaller islands scattered in both the Ionian and Aegean seas. The land itself is very mountainous, but the beaches are spectacular and some are known for their black sand. The cumulative area of Greece is 50,949 square miles (131,957 square kilometers). Using the 2017 population of 10.77 million, Greece has a population density of 211 people per square mile (82 per square kilometer), which ranks 97th in the world.
The largest city and capital is the ancient city of Athens. Athens is one of the oldest cities in the world with a recorded history going back at least 3,400 years. Athens has an urban population of 3 million with a metro population of 3.75 million. Athens is the most densely populated region of Greece with 19,000 people per square mile in the city proper. Athens, along with Sparta were the most powerful of the Greek city-states.
About 2/3 of Greek people live in urban regions. Along with Athens, other major cities include Thessaloniki (788,000), Patras (214,000), and Heraklion (174,000).
Year | Population | Growth Rate | Density (/km²) | Population Rank | Density Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 10,047,817 | -1.28% | 78 | 95 | 132 |
| 2023 | 10,242,908 | -0.93% | 79 | 95 | 130 |
| 2020 | 10,699,369 | -0.18% | 83 | 86 | 125 |
| 2019 | 10,718,576 | -0.11% | 83 | 85 | 126 |
| 2018 | 10,730,844 | -0.21% | 83 | 85 | 124 |
| 2017 | 10,753,533 | -0.2% | 83 | 84 | 124 |
| 2015 | 10,820,903 | -0.55% | 84 | 84 | 120 |
| 2010 | 11,124,670 | 0.26% | 86 | 76 | 115 |
| 2005 | 10,981,334 | 0.37% | 85 | 74 | 110 |
| 2000 | 10,782,635 | 0.5% | 84 | 72 | 110 |
| 1995 | 10,519,235 | 0.5% | 82 | 66 | 108 |
| 1990 | 10,258,487 | 0.44% | 80 | 67 | 111 |
| 1985 | 10,037,037 | 0.78% | 78 | 63 | 107 |
| 1980 | 9,653,414 | 1.37% | 75 | 61 | 103 |
| 1975 | 9,016,967 | 0.61% | 70 | 62 | 103 |
| 1970 | 8,747,776 | 0.53% | 68 | 60 | 99 |
| 1965 | 8,521,363 | 0.32% | 66 | 58 | 95 |
| 1960 | 8,384,492 | 0.98% | 65 | 50 | 89 |
| 1955 | 7,984,711 | 0.86% | 62 | 50 | 86 |
Year | Population | Growth Rate | Density (/km²) | Population Rank | Density Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 10,047,817 | -1.28% | 78 | 95 | 132 |
| 2025 | 9,938,844 | -1.46% | 77 | 95 | 137 |
| 2030 | 9,721,984 | -0.44% | 75 | 97 | 143 |
| 2035 | 9,496,499 | -0.47% | 74 | 98 | 145 |
| 2040 | 9,275,613 | -0.47% | 72 | 99 | 149 |
| 2045 | 9,058,325 | -0.47% | 70 | 104 | 152 |
| 2050 | 8,812,069 | -0.55% | 68 | 107 | 152 |
| 2055 | 8,525,854 | -0.66% | 66 | 112 | 155 |
| 2060 | 8,203,169 | -0.77% | 64 | 113 | 158 |
| 2065 | 7,872,405 | -0.82% | 61 | 113 | 159 |
| 2070 | 7,550,900 | -0.83% | 59 | 113 | 160 |
| 2075 | 7,270,681 | -0.75% | 56 | 116 | 162 |
| 2080 | 7,040,432 | -0.64% | 55 | 115 | 163 |
| 2085 | 6,848,239 | -0.55% | 53 | 115 | 163 |
| 2090 | 6,666,803 | -0.54% | 52 | 115 | 164 |
| 2095 | 6,479,056 | -0.57% | 50 | 117 | 164 |
45.3
Total
43.7
Male
46.8
Female
There are people over age 18 in Greece.
Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 2021 |
| 2011 | 24 May 2011 |
| 2001 | 18 March 2001 |
| 1991 | 17 March 1991 |
Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is located in southeastern Europe with the mainland at the south end of the Balkan Peninsula. Greece is bordered by Bulgaria, Albania, the Republic of Macedonia, the Ionian Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, the Aegean Sea, and Turkey.
Millions of Greeks have migrated abroad to the U.S., the U.K., Germany, Canada, and Australia over the last century, which has led to a great Greek diaspora. Until the 1990s, most of the influx of migration into Greece was returning Greek migrants from Turkey, Georgia, Russia, and the Czech Republic.
According to the 2001 census, there were 762,000 people in Greece without Greek citizenship, or about 7% of the population. Of non-citizens, about 49,000 were EU nationals and 17,000 were Cypriots with privileged status. Most came from Eastern European countries, including Albania (56%), Bulgaria (5%) and Romania (3%).
The 2011 census found the population was comprised of Greek citizens (91%), Albanian citizens (4.5%), Bulgarian citizens (0.7%), Romanian citizens (0.4%), Pakistani citizens (0.3%) and Georgian citizens (0.25%).
Greece, as well as Spain and Italy, continue to face large numbers of illegal immigrants attempting to enter. Most illegal immigrants entering Greece do so from its border with Turkey.
Greece is now in its 8th straight year of recession, which is the longest on record for an advanced western economy. The country also has the highest unemployment rate in the Eurozone at almost 28%. The problem is so severe that many hospitals in Athens say social workers report growing numbers of uninsured migrant mothers who are fleeing the hospital at night with their babies and failing to register for fear of paying a delivery rate of about $600-$1,200 that most can't afford.
The current median age of the population in Greece is 44.5 years of age with a life expectancy of 80.7. 8.1% of the national GDP is spent on healthcare, resulting in a fairly high physician and hospital bed density, the respective numbers are at 6.26 physicians per 1,000 residents and 4.3 beds per 1,000 individuals residing within Greece. 100% of the population has access to clean drinking water, and only 1% struggle with access to improved sanitation facilities. The literacy rate of the population at or over the age of 15 is 97.7. Greece ranks in at number 79 in the World Happiness Report, giving a rating of 5.3 on a scale of 0-10 for overall happiness.
The history of Greece goes back to ancient times, but the country didn't gain its independence from the Ottoman Empire until the early 1800s. 100 years later in 1913, Greece gained additional territories from the Ottomans: Epirus, Macedonia, Crete, and the north Aegean Islands. Greece fell to the Germans during World War II and more than 100,000 died of starvation in 1941. Post-WWII, Greece became a parliamentary democracy and joined Nato.
A 1999 earthquake killed dozens and left thousands more homeless. A fire in 2007 left dozens more dead and destroyed forests across the country. Another fire in 2009 forced 10,000 to relocate. In the past decade, Greece has been struggling with crippling amounts of debt and unemployment.