Greece’s population has been declining for 15 consecutive years. There are 1.24 children for every Greek woman, while older citizens live longer. The population is not decreasing due to natural attrition, but due to a lack of young people.
The accelerating aging of the population and the dramatic shrinking of the workforce are creating an explosive mix for the Greek economy, with the latest Eurostat projections confirming the seriousness of the situation. This country is entering a vicious cycle: fewer young people, more elderly people, more retirements and a smaller workforce to support the system.
Experts make it clear that any decisions should have already been taken. Without substantial interventions in demographics, employment and immigration, these projections risk developing into one of the greatest economic challenges of the coming decades. Already, the social security sector is pressured by aging, as the wave of retirements becomes more massive year by year.
According to Eurostat, Greece is expected to record the fourth largest population decline in Europe by 2100. The population stood at 10.37 million last year and is estimated to decline further to 10.36 million in 2026.
The downward trend is taking on characteristics of a structural crisis: The population is projected to decrease to 10.2 million in 2030, fall below 10 million by 2035, below 9 million by 2055 and be dramatically reduced to just 7.2 million by the end of the century.
Life expectancy matches the European average, at 81.8 years in total (79.2 years for men and 84.4 for women). The picture gets worse if birth data are added, as the low birth rate aggravates the demographic projection. According to Eurostat, in 2024, 3.55 million children were born in the EU, down by 3.3%, with the fertility rate at a historically low 1.34. Greece fares worse, with 1.24, accelerating population aging and decline.
For Greece the problem is not only quantitative but mainly qualitative. The rapid aging, with the continuous increase in the percentage of elderly people and the shrinking of younger ages, creates intense pressure on the social security system and the labor market. This development is directly linked to the unprecedented wave of retirements recorded in recent years.