Greece’s population has fallen by nearly half a million people over the past 13 years, according to new research, as the country grapples with plummeting birth rates, rapid aging, and large-scale emigration.
A study by the Laboratory of Demographic and Social Analyses at the University of Thessaly warns that the decline will continue for the next three decades, with deaths consistently outnumbering births and the country’s demographic profile becoming steadily older.
Birth Rates Halved Since the Mid-20th Century
In 2023, Greece recorded just 72,300 births—about half the annual average between 1951 and 1970. Fertility rates among women born around 1980 are at 1.3–1.4 children, far below the replacement level of 2.07.
At the same time, the proportion of childless adults is rising, with around one in five people born in the early 1980s never having children. Nearly 23% of Greece’s population is already over the age of 65, and in 2023 the elderly outnumbered children aged 0–14 by almost one million.
When the Decline Began
The report notes that Greece’s population only began shrinking after 2011. Between 1991 and 2010, the influx of foreign workers had temporarily offset aging trends, boosting birth rates and labor force growth. But the financial crisis reversed this pattern, triggering both the return of earlier migrants and a new wave of emigration among young Greeks aged 25–45.
Why Young People Leave
The analysis highlights that outward migration is not driven solely by economic crisis. Young professionals often seek jobs that match their education, offer career prospects, and provide fair working conditions—opportunities they say are scarce at home. Chronic problems such as lack of meritocracy, combined with a search for more open and dynamic social environments abroad, also fuel departures.
Housing Pressures and Delayed Families
Housing has emerged as another major obstacle to family formation. Researchers note that couples who live independently are more likely to have children sooner, but in Greece young adults increasingly stay longer in the parental home. This delay—alongside later marriage and childbearing—contributes to smaller families overall.
The report concludes that Greece faces a “double bind”: young people are either leaving the country or choosing not to have children, with both trends reinforcing long-term population decline.
Source: tovima.com
