Demographic situation
The demography of Greece concerns the study of the population of Greece in terms of statistics and quality. In Greece, censuses examining other statistics, other than those about the total population and place of residence, are normally conducted every ten years since 1920. The body responsible for these, as well as for other censuses of population statistics, such as indicators of employment, education, etc., is the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT).
Population
Greece is located at the southern end of continental Europe, covering a surface of 132.049 square kilometers.
According to the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) data, based on the 2001 census, the actual population in the country was at 10.934.080 inhabitants: 5,41 mn. (49,51%) were males and 5,52 mn. (50.49%) females.
According to the revised results of the Population and Housing Census of 2011, the resident population of the country was 10,816,286 individuals of which 5,303,223 were men (49.0%) and 5,513,063 were women (51.0%).
According to the preliminary results of the Population and Housing Census 2021, the Permanent Population of the country amounted to 10,432,481 individuals, of which 5,075,249 are men (48.6%) and 5,357,232 are women (51.4%).
The resident population refers to the number of persons whose regular residence is located in a region, regional unit, municipality, municipal section, municipal or local community and village of the country. The resident population includes all people regardless their nationality, who in the framework of the Population - Housing Census 2021 declared their regular residence as being within the Greek territory.
The information below is expected to be updated after the results of the 2021 Census are finalised.
Source: ELSTAT, Greece in Figures, April - June 2024
Source: ELSTAT, Greece in Figures, April-June 2024.
Population trends
The information below is expected to be updated after the results of the 2021 Census are finalised.
According to the population figures for 2021-2023, the average life expectancy at birth stood at 78,5 years for men and 84 years for women (ELSTAT, Greece in Figures, April-June 2024). However, the participation rate of the age group 0-14 in the total population has dropped, while on the contrary, the participation rate of the age group over 65 years has increased. The proportion of the population of productive age (15-64 years) increased significantly during the last two decades, particularly among men, almost exclusively due to the mass influx of economic immigrants in the country.
Based on population forecasts of Eurostat, the population structure per age groups will be rather different in the upcoming decades due to adverse demographic changes and the trends of low birth rate and population ageing. In particular, by virtue of the last available population projections, the total population of Greece shall stand at around 9 million individuals by 2050.
The population structure, however, will be different from the one of 2001, i.e the rate of children at the age of 0-14 is set to dwindle from 15,44% in 2001 to 12,1% in 2050, while the rate of over 65 age group is set to increase from 17,07% in 2001 to 36,5% by 2050. The financially active population group rate aged 15-64 is forecasted to decrease by 16,1% and from 67,5% in 2000 to drop at 51,45% by 2050.
As of January 1, 2024, there are approximately 900,000 foreign nationals residing in Greece. The majority come from Albania, Bulgaria, and Romania. (ELSTAT, Greece in Figures, April 2024)
In Greece internal immigration, particularly in the postwar period, led to urban growth and the depopulation of rural areas. Similarly, in recent years the urbanisation of the population continues to display an increasing trend. Indeed, the participation of urban and suburban areas in the total population reached 77.2 in 2021 from 76.6% in 2011 showing a slight increase from previous years. The rate of urbanisation, however, shows a marked slowdown in recent years, perhaps because it has already reached values already high for the Greek reality.
Unemployment
In the context of the Labour Force Survey, the following tables present the percentage of the labour force in the total population, as well as the percentage of the unemployed in the total labour force, for the years2019-2023. According to ELSTAT’s figures for Greece for April until June 2024, the unemployment rate keeps decreasing and reached 10.8% , whereas according to the latest labour and employment research of ELSTAT published on 5th September 2024, the unemployment rate decreased to 9.8%.
Source: ELSTAT, Greece in Figures, April -July 2024.
Immigration
Another interesting element in the demographic picture of Greece is the extensive immigration flow, already since the 1990s.
It should be noted that the following immigration data also include persons living in the country as of January 1, 2024 due to the ongoing refugee crisis and other migration factors.
|
|
|
|---|---|
| Citizens of other E.E. member states | 168.550 |
| Citizens of EFTA countries | 1.758 |
| Citizens from countries about to access the E.E. (C.C.) | 340.579 |
| Citizens of VHDC countries¹ | 34.598 |
| Citizens of HDC countries¹ | 74.097 |
| Citizens of MDC Countries¹ | 181.366 |
| Citizens of LDC countries¹ | 120.537 |
| Total population of foreign citizenship | 921.485 |
[1] Categorization of countries by the UN according to the Human Development Index
EU = EU Countries
EFTA = European Free Trade Association Countries
CC = Candidate Countries
VHDC = Very High Developed Non-EU Countries
HDC = High Developed Non-EU Countries
MDC = Medium Developed Non-EU Countries
LDC = Low Developed Non-EU Countries
Source: ELSTAT, Estimated population by sex, group of citizenship and age group on 1st January (2009-2021)
The education of all pupils, including migrant, that reside in Greece is a national issue. The existence of different groups of pupils with various linguistic and cultural characteristics (foreign nationals, repatriates, Roma, Muslims belonging to the Muslim minority in Thrace) has led to the development of educational interventions within the framework of intercultural education. The latter helps the smooth integration of these pupils and combats the phenomenon of school dropout.
Refugee children in education
Issues on the education of refugees are determined in l. 4415/2016 'Regulations on Greek Education abroad, Intercultural Education and other provisions', l. 4547/2018 "Re-organisation of support structures of primary and secondary education and other regulations" and l. 4559/2018 "University of Ioannina, Ionian University and other provisions".
Reception School Facilities for Refugee Education (DYEP) have been created for minor refugees. Education is provided through the school units of Primary and Secondary Education of the mainstream educational system.
Furthermore, taking into consideration the specific features of the refugee population, such as mobility, time of arrival and duration of stay i reception facilitiesas well as the size of the student population, Reception School Facilities for Refugee Education (DYEP) may be formed to function in the framework of mainstream educational system applying specific courses of study of a short duration.
To support the education of refugees, the Institute of Educational Policy has created an online platform for collecting and disseminating approved teaching material.
Additionally, teachers and staff training on intercultural education, reception classes and the production of educational material are also foreseen (Training interventions for reinforcing school structures of the educational system” have been put to effect in the framework of the OP “Human Resources Development, Education and Lifelong Learning 2014-2020” co- funded by the ESF and national resources.
As of 2024, the Greek government has continued to enhance these efforts through additional funding and resources aimed at improving the educational infrastructure for refugee children. New initiatives include expanded teacher training programmes focused on intercultural competencies and the integration of digital learning tools to support refugee education. The Ministry of Education has also introduced new policies to ensure the continuous monitoring and evaluation of educational outcomes for refugee students, aiming to address any gaps and improve the overall quality of the education provided.
Finally, the new Migration Code (l.5038/2023) came into force at the end of March 2024. It introduces updated processes and requirements for the entry and residence of non-EU nationals in Greece. It aims to streamline the immigration process and includes provisions for the education and integration of immigrant children.
Languages
Greek is the official language of the Greek State, used in the entire territory and at all levels of education. It is spoken by approximately 99.5% of the population.
The Muslim minority, which accounts for approximately 1% of the total population of Greece residing in Thrace, amounts to approximately 100,000 members, who are of Turkish, Pomak and Roma origin. Minority schools operate for the Muslim minority, where teaching takes place in the Turkish and the Greek language at the same time.In addition to Greek, several regional Greek dialects are spoken in Greece.
Religions
The relations between the state and the religious communities in Greece are defined by the Constitution, international conventions and executive laws. The Greek Constitution states (Article 13) that:
- Freedom of religious conscience is inviolable. The enjoyment of civil rights and liberties does not depend on the individual’s religious beliefs.
- All known religions shall be free and their rites of worship shall be performed unhindered and under the protection of the law. The practice of rites of worship is not allowed to offend public order or principles of morality. Proselytism is forbidden.
- The ministers of all known religions shall be subject to the same supervision by the State and to the same obligations towards it as those of the prevailing religion.
No one may, on account of his religious beliefs, be exempted from the fulfilment of his obligations to the State or refuse to comply with the laws.
No oath shall be imposed without a law, which shall determine its form.Also, according to the Constitution of Greece (article 3) the prevailing religion in Greece is the religion of the Eastern Orthodox Church of Christ. It is pointed out that this recognition is purely affirmative, due to the fact that the great majority of Greeks are affiliated with the Orthodox Church and is therefore not a "state religion" or "official religion".
Education, in accordance with Article 16 of the Constitution, constitutes a basic mission of the State and shall aim at the moral, intellectual, professional and physical training of Greeks, the development of national and religious consciousness and at their formation as free and responsible citizens.
The Greek education system also includes:
- Ecclesiastical Secondary Education Units Schools (general ecclesiastical lower secondary and general ecclesiastical upper secondary schools), with the main purpose of promoting and training clergy and the laymen of the Greek Orthodox Church in Greece of a high educational level and Christian ethos, as well as
- Muslim Seminaries of Thrace, religious schools of secondary education (Gymnasium - Lyceum) which can be attended only by students of the Muslim minority of Thrace, covering the needs of their religious education. There are two religious schools, one in Komotini and one in Xanthi.