Births in Greece have fallen by 42% over 15 years, from 117,700 in 2008-2009 to 66,700 in 2024-2025, according to a study by the Institute of Demographic Research and Studies.
The decline was smaller in island regions. In six island prefectures, it remained below 30%, while in the Cyclades and Zakynthos it was below 15%.
By contrast, in six prefectures in mainland Greece — Thesprotia, Grevena, Phthiotis, Kozani, Evrytania and Florina — the decline exceeded 50%, while in another 10 prefectures it ranged from 45% to 50%.
The demographic decline is attributed to a combination of factors, including lower fertility and an increase in the age at which people have children.
At the same time, births exceeded deaths only in the Dodecanese, Xanthi, Chania, Rethymno and Heraklion.
The report notes that “significant changes have occurred in birth rates in Greece since 1950, with births falling from an average of 148,000 in 1979-80 to 67,000 in 2024-25, while the average age at childbirth increased by almost six years, from 26.2 to 32.2 years respectively.”
According to the report, the decline is also linked to lower fertility among successive generations of women. Women born in the late 1950s had an average of 2.0 children, compared with fewer than 1.5 among those born around 1985.
Source:News 247, Institute of Demographic Research and Studies
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