There was an 11% decrease in births in Greece in one year. By 2050, only 63% of the population will be "Greek by birth"!
The new survey conducted by the European Statistical Authority (Eurostat) revealed that Greece is experiencing a significant decline in birth rates. In 2022, there were 9,425 fewer births compared to the previous year.
In more specific terms, Greece recorded 85,346 births in 2021, but this number decreased to 75,921 in 2022, indicating an 11.04% reduction.
If this trend continues, by 2050, only 63% of the population will be of Greek nationality. Out of the recorded births in 2022, which amounted to 75,921, approximately 23,000 were born to foreign parents.
Analyzing different regions of Greece, the North Aegean (-21.57%), Western Macedonia (-14.8%), and the Aegean Islands (-13.4%) showed the highest percentage decrease in births between the two years. Epirus experienced an 11.9% decline, with 1,966 births in 2022 compared to 2,232 in 2021.
Greece is facing a growing demographic problem, characterized by a declining population and an aging society. The rapid decrease in birth rates, coupled with increased immigration, has resulted in a shrinking workforce and an increased average age.
Furthermore, the National Health System will face new challenges in the coming years, as it will have reduced income and increased expenses due to these demographic changes.
The decrease in births is not unique to Greece; other European countries are also experiencing similar trends. In 2022, the EU recorded a total of 3.88 million births, compared to 4.09 million in 2021, which represents a 5.11% decrease. The fertility rate in the EU was 1.46 births per woman in 2022, down from the slight increase seen in 2021 (1.53 in 2021 and 1.51 in 2020). France had the highest fertility rate in the EU (1.79 births per woman) in 2022, followed by Romania (1.71), Bulgaria (1.65), and the Czech Republic (1.64). On the other hand, the lowest fertility rates were observed in Malta (1.08 births per woman), Spain (1.16), Italy (1.24), Greece (1.32), Portugal (1.16), and Poland (1.29).
