The population of Greece is estimated to have decreased by 39,933 people in 2020 compared with the previous year, according to data published by the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) last week.
The population of Greece on 1st January 2021 is estimated at 10,678,632 people, made up of 5,196,048 males (48,7%) and 5,482,584 females (51,3%), which represents a drop of 0.37% in relation to the population on 1st January 2020 which amounted to 10,718,565 persons.
ELSTAT said this resulted from “the natural decrease of the population,” which amounted to 45,902 persons (84,767 births as opposed to 130,669 deaths of usual residents in the Greek territory) and the net migration, estimated at 6,384 persons.
People aged 0-14 years amounted to 14.1% of the total population, those aged 15-64 years represented 63.3% and persons aged 65 years and over 22.6%. Children and adolescents aged 0 to 19 are estimated at 2,059,036, while 13,451 people living in the country are over 100 years old.
The largest population group in the country – estimated every four years – are those aged 50-54, with 807,051 citizens falling into this age bracket.
In the same period, net migration is estimated at 6,384 persons corresponding to the difference between 84,221 immigrants and 77,837 emigrants. In 2019 net migration was estimated at 34,439
persons (129,459 immigrants and 95,020 emigrants). Immigration data also includes persons living in the country on January 1, 2021, because of the refugee crisis.
As expected, the largest percentage of the population, 35%, lives in Attica, while the second most populous region, with a much lower percentage, is Central Macedonia with 17.4%. Another 6.6% of the population lives in Thessaly, 6.1% in Western Greece and 6% in Crete. They are followed by Eastern Macedonia and Thrace with 5.6%, the Peloponnese with 5.3%, Central Greece with 5.2%, the South Aegean with 3.3%, Epirus with 3.1%, Western Macedonia with 2.5%, the North Aegean with 2.1% and the Ionian Islands with 1.9%.
The report is based on the revised estimates of the population of Greece for the period 1991-2014, in line with the results of the 2011 census, vital statistics annual data for 2020 and estimations of migration flows during 2020. ELSTAT clarified that this data is not based on the current 2021 Population and Housing Census but on the last one conducted in 2011.
