9,978,829
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 Population Growth
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.
Greece Population Projections
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.
