Greece records 42% drop in births over 15 years

Greece is experiencing a sharp demographic decline: the number of births fell by 42 percent over a 15-year period, according to recent demographic data.

Regional gaps and an ongoing downward trend

Births declined from 117,440 in 2009 to 68,310 in 2024, the figures from the Greek Institute for Demographic Research and Studies show. The steepest falls occurred in several inland regional units, while some islands fared better.

Thesprotia, Grevena, Fthiotida, Kozani, Evrytania and Florina registered reductions of more than half. In another ten regional units the drop ranged between 45 and 50 percent. By contrast, the Cyclades and Zakynthos recorded declines of less than 15 percent over the same period.

In 2024 births outnumbered deaths in only five of the country’s 74 regional units, underscoring the depth of the demographic challenge.

Demographers point to a long-term fall in completed fertility and later childbearing as key drivers. Women born in the late 1950s had, on average, about two children; among cohorts born around 1985 the average has fallen below 1.5 children.

The downward trajectory continued into 2026: 43,339 births were registered in the first eight months of the year, and estimates put the total for 2026 at roughly 65,000.

Photo: press material from the event