(MENAFN) Greece’s population has shrunk by more than 400,000 over the last 13 years, driven by declining birth rates, an aging populace, and significant emigration, according to Greek media reports on Saturday.

Drawing from findings by the Laboratory of Demographic and Social Analyses at the University of Thessaly, media highlighted that this downward trajectory is expected to persist for decades. The research reveals deaths consistently outpace births while the share of elderly citizens steadily rises.

Data from the Hellenic Statistical Authority shows the resident population fell from 10,816,286 in the 2011 Population-Housing Census to an estimated 10,400,720 by January 1, 2024—a drop exceeding 400,000 in just over a decade.

Birth statistics for 2023 underline the severity of the decline, with only 72,300 newborns recorded—roughly half the annual number seen in the 1950s and 1960s. Fertility rates among women born around 1980 linger at 1.3 to 1.4 children per woman, well below the replacement threshold. Meanwhile, nearly 23 percent of the population is now over 65 years old, with seniors outnumbering children by nearly one million.

The study traced the population decline back to the aftermath of the 2011 financial crisis, which sparked both the return of migrant workers and a large wave of young Greeks emigrating abroad. Persistent structural challenges—such as limited career prospects and housing affordability—have further deterred young families from forming.

Researchers cautioned that Greece is confronting a "double challenge": young people are either emigrating or postponing having children, both factors intensifying the country’s ongoing demographic decline.

This demographic shift poses critical implications for Greece’s future social and economic stability, demanding urgent policy responses to reverse the trend.

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