Europe · Southern Europe
Greece Demographics
Greece recorded another large natural population loss in 2024. Positive net migration offset most of the estimated birth–death deficit, while low fertility, a narrow child population and a growing older population continued to shape the country’s age structure.
Sources used: Hellenic Statistical Authority, Eurostat and World Bank World Development Indicators.
Last updated: 21 July 2026
Core Demographic Indicators
Deaths Have Exceeded Births Throughout the Latest Twelve-Year Series
Registered deaths were higher than live births in every year from 2013 through 2024. Births fell from 94,134 to 68,467 across the period, while the annual natural deficit widened from 17,660 to 58,449.
The lowest balance in this series occurred in 2022, when deaths exceeded births by 64,697. In 2024, Greece registered only 53.9 births for every 100 deaths.
| Year | Live Births | Deaths | Natural Change | Births per 100 Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 94,134 | 111,794 | −17,660 | 84.2 |
| 2014 | 92,149 | 113,740 | −21,591 | 81.0 |
| 2015 | 91,847 | 121,183 | −29,336 | 75.8 |
| 2016 | 92,898 | 118,788 | −25,890 | 78.2 |
| 2017 | 88,553 | 124,495 | −35,942 | 71.1 |
| 2018 | 86,440 | 120,291 | −33,851 | 71.9 |
| 2019 | 83,756 | 124,954 | −41,198 | 67.0 |
| 2020 | 84,764 | 131,025 | −46,261 | 64.7 |
| 2021 | 85,346 | 143,904 | −58,558 | 59.3 |
| 2022 | 76,095 | 140,792 | −64,697 | 54.0 |
| 2023 | 71,455 | 128,097 | −56,642 | 55.8 |
| 2024 | 68,467 | 126,916 | −58,449 | 53.9 |
How the Birth–Death Gap Widened
- Live births declined by 27.3% between 2013 and 2024.
- The natural deficit in 2024 was 3.3 times the 2013 deficit.
- The temporary rise in births during 2020 and 2021 did not reverse the longer downward series.
- Deaths fell after their 2021 peak but remained nearly 1.9 times the number of births in 2024.
Births and Deaths, 2013–2024
Annual registered live births and deaths in Greece
Source: Hellenic Statistical Authority, revised vital statistics series.
Migration Offset Most of the 2024 Natural Loss
ELSTAT’s population-estimation accounts record 132,149 immigrants and 78,014 emigrants during 2024. The resulting estimated net migration of 54,135 offset 94.0% of the natural loss used within the same accounting series.
The remaining estimated population change was −3,429. Positive migration therefore brought the annual total close to stability, although the birth–death balance remained strongly negative.
| Accounting Component | Value | Reference Year | Measure Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Births used in population accounts | 68,309 | 2024 | Estimated accounting component |
| Deaths used in population accounts | 125,873 | 2024 | Estimated accounting component |
| Natural balance | −57,564 | 2024 | Derived within accounting series |
| Immigration | 132,149 | 2024 | Estimated migration flow |
| Emigration | 78,014 | 2024 | Estimated migration flow |
| Net migration | +54,135 | 2024 | Immigration minus emigration |
| Estimated population change | −3,429 | 2024 | Natural balance plus net migration |
| Usual resident population | 10,372,335 | 1 January 2025 | Estimated usual resident population |
How Migration Changes the Annual Total
- The estimated migration surplus was 3,429 smaller than the natural loss recorded in the population accounts.
- Migration changed the scale of annual population decline but did not alter the negative natural balance.
- The immigration and emigration figures are annual flows, not counts of all foreign-born or foreign-citizen residents.
Older Residents Outnumber Children by a Wide Margin
Residents aged 65 or older accounted for 23.7% of the estimated population on 1 January 2025, compared with 12.8% for children aged 0–14. The older group exceeded the child population by 1,133,381 people.
ELSTAT’s ageing ratio reached 185.4 people aged 65 or older for every 100 children. The same indicator stood at 138.5 in 2013, showing how the balance shifted within little more than a decade.
| Age Group | Male Population | Female Population | Total Population | Population Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–14 | 683,622 | 643,657 | 1,327,279 | 12.8% |
| 15–64 | 3,321,166 | 3,263,230 | 6,584,396 | 63.5% |
| 65+ | 1,089,306 | 1,371,354 | 2,460,660 | 23.7% |
The three youngest five-year groups contain 1.33 million residents, fewer than the combined population aged 65–74.
The 40–59 age range contains 3.12 million people, about 1.65 times the population aged 0–19.
Women outnumber men by 282,048 among residents aged 65 or older.
Women Become the Majority From Ages 45–49
Men form a small majority in the younger age groups and remain slightly more numerous through ages 40–44. The balance reverses at ages 45–49 and the female majority expands across the older groups.
Across the full population, Greece had an estimated 5,094,094 males and 5,278,241 females on 1 January 2025. This corresponds to 96.5 males per 100 females.
Greece Age-Sex Structure, 2025
Estimated usual resident population by five-year age group and sex
Source: Hellenic Statistical Authority, estimated population on 1 January 2025. Male values are encoded negatively only for pyramid positioning.
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total | Male Share | Female Share | Males per 100 Females |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | 199,054 | 187,957 | 387,011 | 51.4% | 48.6% | 105.9 |
| 5–9 | 227,870 | 214,416 | 442,286 | 51.5% | 48.5% | 106.3 |
| 10–14 | 256,698 | 241,284 | 497,982 | 51.5% | 48.5% | 106.4 |
| 15–19 | 294,857 | 265,978 | 560,835 | 52.6% | 47.4% | 110.9 |
| 20–24 | 287,559 | 255,345 | 542,904 | 53.0% | 47.0% | 112.6 |
| 25–29 | 272,308 | 244,563 | 516,871 | 52.7% | 47.3% | 111.3 |
| 30–34 | 281,710 | 259,829 | 541,539 | 52.0% | 48.0% | 108.4 |
| 35–39 | 303,566 | 295,886 | 599,452 | 50.6% | 49.4% | 102.6 |
| 40–44 | 373,199 | 369,486 | 742,685 | 50.2% | 49.8% | 101.0 |
| 45–49 | 399,474 | 400,763 | 800,237 | 49.9% | 50.1% | 99.7 |
| 50–54 | 390,798 | 397,761 | 788,559 | 49.6% | 50.4% | 98.2 |
| 55–59 | 383,635 | 405,555 | 789,190 | 48.6% | 51.4% | 94.6 |
| 60–64 | 334,060 | 368,064 | 702,124 | 47.6% | 52.4% | 90.8 |
| 65–69 | 309,712 | 350,321 | 660,033 | 46.9% | 53.1% | 88.4 |
| 70–74 | 263,365 | 304,318 | 567,683 | 46.4% | 53.6% | 86.5 |
| 75–79 | 220,406 | 273,855 | 494,261 | 44.6% | 55.4% | 80.5 |
| 80–84 | 140,051 | 190,281 | 330,332 | 42.4% | 57.6% | 73.6 |
| 85–89 | 99,782 | 154,497 | 254,279 | 39.2% | 60.8% | 64.6 |
| 90–94 | 44,208 | 75,169 | 119,377 | 37.0% | 63.0% | 58.8 |
| 95–99 | 10,396 | 19,830 | 30,226 | 34.4% | 65.6% | 52.4 |
| 100+ | 1,386 | 3,083 | 4,469 | 31.0% | 69.0% | 45.0 |
Where the Sex Balance Shifts
- The highest male share appears at ages 20–24, with 112.6 males per 100 females.
- The 40–44 group remains almost balanced at 101.0 males per 100 females.
- Women first become more numerous at ages 45–49.
- The ratio falls to 73.6 males per 100 females at ages 80–84 and 45.0 at ages 100 or older.
Fertility Moved Below the Replacement Benchmark in the Early 1980s
Greece’s total fertility rate was 2.23 births per woman in 1980 and 2.09 in 1981. It then moved farther below the broad 2.1 replacement-level benchmark, reaching 1.39 in 1990 and 1.25 in 2000.
The rate rose to 1.50 in 2008, declined after 2010 and reached 1.24 in 2024. The benchmark is a general reference point; it does not account for mortality, migration or the country’s existing age distribution.
| Year | Births per Woman | Measure Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 2.23 | Total fertility rate | World Bank WDI |
| 1970 | 2.40 | Total fertility rate | World Bank WDI |
| 1980 | 2.23 | Total fertility rate | World Bank WDI |
| 1981 | 2.09 | Total fertility rate | World Bank WDI |
| 1985 | 1.67 | Total fertility rate | World Bank WDI |
| 1990 | 1.39 | Total fertility rate | World Bank WDI |
| 1995 | 1.28 | Total fertility rate | World Bank WDI |
| 2000 | 1.25 | Total fertility rate | World Bank WDI |
| 2005 | 1.34 | Total fertility rate | World Bank WDI |
| 2008 | 1.50 | Total fertility rate | World Bank WDI |
| 2010 | 1.48 | Total fertility rate | World Bank WDI |
| 2013 | 1.29 | Total fertility rate | World Bank WDI |
| 2015 | 1.33 | Total fertility rate | World Bank WDI |
| 2018 | 1.35 | Total fertility rate | World Bank WDI |
| 2019 | 1.34 | Total fertility rate | World Bank WDI |
| 2020 | 1.39 | Total fertility rate | World Bank WDI |
| 2021 | 1.43 | Total fertility rate | World Bank WDI |
| 2022 | 1.32 | Total fertility rate | World Bank WDI |
| 2023 | 1.26 | Total fertility rate | World Bank WDI |
| 2024 | 1.24 | Total fertility rate | World Bank WDI and Eurostat |
Total Fertility Rate, 1960–2024
Selected years from the harmonized annual series, with the broad 2.1 replacement-level benchmark
Source: World Bank World Development Indicators. The 2024 value is also reported by Eurostat.
Later Motherhood Accompanies a Smaller Birth Cohort
The mean age of mothers at childbirth rose from 30.9 years in 2013 to 32.2 years in 2024. Over the same interval, annual births declined by more than 25,000.
Eurostat reports that 11% of Greek births in 2024 were to mothers aged 40 or older, the highest share among EU countries. The annual total therefore reflects both low fertility and the timing of births within a smaller reproductive-age population.
| Year | Live Births | Mean Age of Mother | ELSTAT Fertility Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 94,134 | 30.9 years | 1.3 |
| 2016 | 92,898 | 31.3 years | 1.4 |
| 2019 | 83,756 | 31.6 years | 1.4 |
| 2021 | 85,346 | 32.0 years | 1.4 |
| 2022 | 76,095 | 32.0 years | 1.3 |
| 2023 | 71,455 | 32.1 years | 1.3 |
| 2024 | 68,467 | 32.2 years | 1.2 |
Most Births Remain Connected to Marriage or Registered Partnership
Birth registration categories also show a specifically Greek family-formation pattern. In 2024, 52,318 births occurred within marriage, 9,393 within registered partnerships and 6,756 outside either category.
Births outside marriage represented 9.9% of the annual total. Registered-partnership births, meanwhile, rose from 252 in 2013 to 9,393 in 2024 and are reported separately from outside-marriage births.
| Year | Total Births | Within Marriage | Outside Marriage | Registered Partnership | Outside-Marriage Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 94,134 | 87,545 | 6,337 | 252 | 6.7% |
| 2016 | 92,898 | 84,199 | 7,525 | 1,174 | 8.1% |
| 2019 | 83,756 | 73,361 | 7,593 | 2,802 | 9.1% |
| 2022 | 76,095 | 61,485 | 7,460 | 7,150 | 9.8% |
| 2024 | 68,467 | 52,318 | 6,756 | 9,393 | 9.9% |
Longer Survival Has Expanded the Older-Age Population
Life expectancy at birth rose from 63.4 to 79.4 years for males between 1950 and 2024. The female series increased from 66.7 to 84.4 years.
The female advantage was 5.0 years in 2024. Longer survival occurs alongside a larger number of residents reaching older ages and contributes to the wide female majority visible near the top of the age structure.
Life Expectancy at Birth by Sex, 1950–2024
Selected years from the ELSTAT demographic indicator series
Source: Hellenic Statistical Authority. Values are years of expected life at birth under period mortality conditions.
| Year | Male | Female | Female–Male Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 63.4 years | 66.7 years | 3.3 years |
| 1960 | 67.3 years | 70.4 years | 3.1 years |
| 1970 | 70.1 years | 73.6 years | 3.5 years |
| 1980 | 72.2 years | 76.6 years | 4.4 years |
| 1990 | 74.6 years | 79.4 years | 4.8 years |
| 2000 | 75.4 years | 80.5 years | 5.1 years |
| 2005 | 76.8 years | 82.5 years | 5.7 years |
| 2010 | 78.0 years | 83.3 years | 5.3 years |
| 2015 | 78.5 years | 83.7 years | 5.2 years |
| 2022 | 78.3 years | 83.4 years | 5.1 years |
| 2023 | 79.2 years | 84.4 years | 5.2 years |
| 2024 | 79.4 years | 84.4 years | 5.0 years |
The Current Population Balance
The 2024 final vital statistics recorded 68,467 births and 126,916 deaths, leaving a deficit of 58,449.
The population accounts required a migration surplus of more than 54,000 merely to bring the annual population change close to zero.
The ageing ratio rose from 138.5 older residents per 100 children in 2013 to 185.4 in the estimate for 1 January 2025.
The fertility rate remains well below 2.1, while the age groups that will enter family-forming years are smaller than the large middle-aged cohorts.
Data Sources and Methodology
The page keeps final vital statistics, estimated population accounts and internationally harmonized indicators in separate modules. Values retain their stated reference dates because a 1 January population estimate, an annual flow and an annual rate do not describe the same measurement period.
Natural change is calculated as live births minus deaths. Net migration is calculated as immigration minus emigration. Sex ratios show males per 100 females. Age-group totals, population shares, migration offset, births-per-death ratios and female–male life expectancy gaps are derived from the displayed source values.
| Source | Release or Data Year | Used For | Measure Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hellenic Statistical Authority, Estimated Population and Migration Flows | 2024 flows and 1 January 2025 population | Current population, annual direction, migration flows, broad age structure and detailed age-sex distribution | Estimated usual resident population and estimated annual flows |
| Hellenic Statistical Authority, Vital Statistics and Greece in Figures | 2013–2024, with earlier life expectancy observations | Births, deaths, natural change, maternal age, fertility, birth registration context, ageing ratios and life expectancy | Final or revised administrative statistics and demographic indicators |
| Eurostat, Demography 2026 and harmonized demographic datasets | 2024–2025 | Median age, exact 2024 fertility rate, births to mothers aged 40 or older, outside-marriage birth comparison and life expectancy cross-check | Harmonized European demographic indicators |
| World Bank World Development Indicators | 1960–2024 | Long annual total fertility rate series | Internationally harmonized rate series |
Definition and Calculation Notes
- Usual resident population refers to ELSTAT’s estimated population living in Greece on 1 January 2025. It is not a census count or a mid-year model estimate.
- Natural change equals live births minus deaths. Negative values indicate more deaths than births.
- Net migration equals estimated immigration minus estimated emigration. It does not measure the total foreign-born population.
- Total fertility rate estimates the number of births a woman would have under the age-specific fertility rates observed in a given period.
- The 2.1 benchmark is a broad reference for generational replacement in low-mortality populations. It is not a forecast of population growth or decline.
- Ageing ratio compares the population aged 65 or older with children aged 0–14.
- Life expectancy at birth is a period measure based on mortality conditions in the stated year, not the predicted lifespan of an individual newborn.
- Percentages may not reproduce exact totals after display rounding.
Methodological Safety Note: ELSTAT’s 2024 population-estimation accounts use 68,309 births and 125,873 deaths, while the finalized vital statistics report 68,467 births and 126,916 deaths. These values come from different statistical releases and reconciliation stages. The accounting components are used only in the migration-balance module; finalized vital records are used in the births, deaths and natural-change series. Eurostat and World Bank rates are harmonized indicators and may be revised independently of ELSTAT’s resident population estimates. No projection values are presented as observed population data.