The population of Greece entered a phase of rapid decline starting from 2011, the first year since 1944 which registered a negative birth rate.
In summary, the Greek population is expected to lose nearly 3 million inhabitants by 2050.
The alarm was raised by Stefanos Chandakas, gynecologist, founder and CEO of HOPEgenesis, a Greek non-profit organization that addresses the problem of low birth rates in Greece. Chandakas said 2017 births and 88.553 deaths occurred in Greece in 124.501.
Speaking at an event held recently at the American College of Greece in Athens, the doctor said that if current trends continue “The Greek population is expected to reach 8 million people from 10,75 today. The current Greek situation is grim, but it can get worse. This can happen in 30 years, by 2050. And these are also conservative estimates on a few main points.”
How many inhabitants has Greece – The current population of Greece is 10.751.862 individuals, according to the latest Eurostat data.
Chandakas stressed that Greece is still far from adopting social policies to promote motherhood, family and fertility. The Greek economy today hardly allows this. He then underlined that in this scenario the main objective of creating a favorable environment to support young couples of childbearing age is simply “a question of survival”.
Greece's total fertility rate (the number of children each woman has of reproductive age) increased from 1,31 in 2004 to 1,5 in 2008-2009, but then fell again from 2014 onwards, up to 1,35, in 2017. Greek scientists are worried, and they have good reason to be.
The average age of Greek women giving birth for the first time has also increased significantly, from 28,8 years in 2008 to 30,3 years in 2016.
Greek population in 2050: few and old
A staggering 36% of the Greek population will be over 65 by 2050, up from 6% in the 70s and 18% of the population today.
The collapse of the population (which will be worse than the general future world trend) combined with a collapse in the number of people of working age will have a catastrophic impact on the Greek economy and the inhabitants of Greece.
Demographic "desertification" will be both a consequence and a cause. It will further weigh on the insurance network and on the already overburdened capacity of the pension system and of those who benefit from it.
Not only the dead and malnourished, therefore, as a result of the terrible Greek economic crisis, but also millions of "unborn".
