Empty villages, disillusioned young workers, and government officials scrambling for solutions: this is the stark reality Euronews uncovered in Greece, where the country is bracing for a major population collapse fuelled by plummeting numbers of births, mass emigration, and low fertility rates.
Six years after Greece exited its financial bailout programmes, marking the official end of a painful economic crisis, the country is now facing a new kind of emergency that could influence its social and economic structure: population decline. Projections suggest that by 2070, Greece’s population could shrink by as much as 25%, way above the EU average of 4%.
In 2022, the country recorded less than 77,000 births, the lowest in almost a century, while deaths nearly doubled that number, reaching 140,000. Nothing seems to indicate that this trend will change anytime soon.
“The demographic collapse is literally becoming an existential challenge for our future” warned Greek Prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
Economic exodus
The latest population census, in 2021, showed a 3.1% drop in the overall population in just ten years, to less than 10.5 million people. That decade broadly corresponds to the economic crisis that the country went through, which fuelled the exodus of about half a million Greeks, especially among the young and educated segments of the population.
Those who stayed in the country still face a difficult labour market recovery, characterised by high unemployment and low wages, making it even more challenging to build stable careers and families.
In Chios, an island of 50.000 residents in the Northern Aegean Sea, Euronews spoke with Mary and Nikos, a couple in their early thirties who left Greece for the United States two years ago, and only visit occasionally for holidays. They reflected on their decision to emigrate, citing economic difficulties as the main reason.
“If you have to work 10 to 12 hours a day and not earn as much money as you want to, how can you buy a house? And how can you raise a family? You can’t” Mary said. Nikos echoed her sentiments, stating that while they love Greece, they cannot see themselves returning, even if conditions improved.
Chios has a long history of emigration, with several generations leaving in search of opportunities elsewhere. Today, empty villages with only a handful of elderly residents are not uncommon, especially in the northern part of the island.
Low fertility, longer lives
This is a powerful reminder of where the country is heading, as low fertility rates (1.32 births per woman) and higher life expectancy are quickly leading to a shrinking and aging population.
Greek economist Nikos Vettas highlights the economic consequences of this demographic shift, which puts additional pressure on Greece’s pension system and healthcare services: “The main problem is that you are going to have a smaller number of people who are working. And now these people, they will have to support a large population of older people.”
However, Vettas adds that some measures can be taken alleviate the problem: “You have to increase the productivity in the country. You have to bring in technology. You have to encourage the inflow of immigrants, especially in high productivity jobs.”
Recognising the urgency of the issue, the Greek government established its first-ever ministry specifically dedicated to tackling the demographic challenge in 2023. Led by Sofia Zacharaki, the ministry has introduced a series of measures, including tax breaks and increased state allowances for newborns, in hopes of encouraging higher birth rates.
While Zacharaki acknowledges that these efforts alone won’t solve the problem, she emphasizes that they represent a step in the right direction to solve what she calls “the biggest threat that Greece is faced with.”
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