Page last modified 18 August 2023
Greece
Community
Historic Area square kilometres. NOTE, No accurate survey of Greece was available until after 1910, so older area figures are approximate only. Greece was constituted a state in 1832. Britain ceded the Ionian Islands to Greece in 1864. Greece� annexed Thessaly and part of Epirus in 1881. Greece ceded 494 sq. km. of land to Turkey after the war of 1897.
47,500 (1821)
50,200 (1870)
64,000 (1896)
63,500 (1907)
149,000 (1920)
128,300 (1928)
Current Area, 131,957 square kilometres (from 1951) (land area 130,647 square kilometres).� The Greek islands have a total land area of 25,026 square kilometres.
Population,
3,000,000 (400 BCE)#
3,000,000 (AD 1)
2,000,000 (AD 350)
1,200,000 (AD 600)
2,000,000 (AD 800)
5,000,000 (1000)
4,000,000 (1200)
2,000,000 (1500)
1,500,000 (1500)
938,765 (1821)
753,400 (1828) (1)
1,045,232 (1857)
1,457,894 (1871)
1,679,470 (1879)
2,187,208 (1889) (2)
2,433,806 (1896)
2,631,952 (1907)
2,800,000 (1913)
4,800,000 (1913) (3)
5,600,000 (1921)
6,204,684 (1928)
7,344,860 (1940)
7,600,000 (1950) +3.5%
8,270,000 (1960) +8.8%
9,010,000 (1970) +8.9%
9,630,000 (1980) +6,9%
10,250,000 (1990) +6.4%
10,805,000 (2000) +5.4%
11,121,000 (2010) +2.9%
10,716,000 (2020) -3.66%
#This total comprised 2 million citizens and 1 million slaves.
1 Decline due to loss of life in war of independence against Ottoman Turkey
2 Greece gained an extra 350,000 population with the 1881 annexations of 1881,
3 After addition of Crete by the Treaty of Bucharest
Ethnicity %
|
|
Albanian |
Bulgarian |
Greek |
Macedonian |
Romanian |
Turkish |
|
1800 |
ca. 20% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1896 |
6.0(?)* |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1928 |
0.3 |
0.3 |
92.8 |
1.3 |
0.3 |
3.1 |
|
1970 |
0.6 |
0.2 |
94.9 |
1.8 |
|
1.4 |
|
1988 |
1.0 |
|
97.7 |
|
|
1.3 |
|
1992 |
|
|
97.9 |
|
|
|
|
2006 |
4.3 |
0.4 |
|
|
0.2 |
|
|
2011 |
4.5 |
0.7 |
91.2 |
|
0.4 |
|
*Exact figure uncertain; systematically understated by the then Government of Greece.
Religion %
|
|
Christian Gk Orthodox |
Christian Other |
Jewish |
Muslim Sunni |
No religion |
|
1879 |
97.4 |
0.9 |
|
1.5* |
|
|
1900 |
83.3 |
1.9 |
2.0 |
12.8 |
0.0 |
|
1928 |
96.1 |
0.7 |
1.2 |
1.2 |
|
|
1937 |
95.6 |
|
1.2 |
1.8 |
|
|
1951 |
97.9 |
0.6 |
0.1 |
1.5 |
|
|
1970 |
97.7 |
0.6 |
0.0 |
1.5 |
0.1 |
|
1990 |
98.0 |
|
|
1.0 |
|
|
2015 |
90.0 |
4.0 |
|
2.0 |
4.0 |
*This 1.5% resulted from the annexation of Thessaly and Epirus. Many subsequently emigrated, taking the number down considerably by 1908.
Birth and death rates Below replacement rate = 2.1
|
|
Fertility Rate |
Birth Rate |
Infant Mortality |
Death Rate |
% Aged Under 15 |
% Aged Over 65 |
% Urban |
|
1860 |
|
38.6 (+12.1) |
198.2 |
26.5 |
|
|
|
|
1898 |
|
|
|
|
39.3 |
|
|
|
1930 |
2.2 |
|
122.0 |
|
|
|
33.0 |
|
1938 |
|
26.1 |
99.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
1940 |
2.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
47.5 |
|
1950 |
2.1 |
19.0 (+12.0) |
60.0 |
7.0 |
28.7 |
6.8 |
51.0 |
|
1960 |
1.9 |
18.0 (+10.7) |
38.9 |
7.3 |
27.4 |
7.0 |
55.9 |
|
1970 |
2.3 |
16.0 (+7.6) |
27.7 |
8.4 |
26.1 |
10.2 |
64.2 |
|
1980 |
2.2 |
15.0 (+6.1) |
17.4 |
9.1 |
23.6 |
12.5 |
69.3 |
|
1990 |
1.4 |
10.0 (+0.8) |
9.3 |
9.2 |
19.2 |
13.5 |
71.5 |
|
2000 |
1.3 |
9.6 (-0.1) |
5.5 |
9.7 |
15.4 |
16.4 |
72.7 |
|
2010 |
1.4 |
10.3 (+0.5) |
3.3 |
9.8 |
14.9 |
19.1 |
76.3 |
|
2015 |
1.3 |
8.5 (-2.7) |
3.8 |
11.2 |
14.5 |
20.8 |
78.0 |
|
2017 |
1.4 |
8.2 (-3.4) |
3.7 |
11.6 |
|
|
|
|
2018 |
|
|
3.6 |
|
14.1 |
21.7 |
79.1 |
Life expectancy,
35.7 (1860)
50.0 (1928); 49.1 (M), 50.9 (F)
65.9 (1952); 64.0 (M), 68.0 (F)
68.2 (1960); 65.9 (M), 70.5 (F)
70.9 (1970); 68.3 (M), 73.6 (F)
73.6 (1980); 70.7 (M), 76.8 (F)
76.9 (1990); 74.5 (M), 79.5 (F)
77.9 (2000); 75.4 (M), 80.5 (F)
80.4 (2010); 77.9 (M), 83.0 (F)
82.3 (2020); 79.9 (M), 84.7 (F)�
Population of principal cities, 1000s MA = Metropolitan Area
|
|
ATHENS1 |
Heraklion |
Patras |
Piraeus |
Thessaloniki |
|
1821 |
7 |
|
|
|
|
|
1825 |
10 |
|
|
|
|
|
1836 |
18 |
|
|
1 |
|
|
1840 |
19 |
|
|
2 |
|
|
1850 |
24 |
|
|
5 |
|
|
1860 |
41 |
|
|
6 |
|
|
1870 |
45 |
|
|
11 |
|
|
1880 |
85 |
|
|
25 |
|
|
1889 |
107 |
|
34 |
|
150 |
|
1900 |
180 |
|
|
43 |
|
|
1920 |
292 |
|
|
133 |
|
|
1938 |
393 |
33 |
61 |
|
236 |
|
1946 |
858 |
|
|
266 |
262 |
|
1951 |
|
|
79 |
186 |
297 |
|
1961 |
1,853 |
|
102 |
184 |
371 |
|
1971 |
2,540 |
|
|
439 MA |
470 |
|
1981 |
3,027 |
102 |
141 |
476 MA |
|
|
1991 |
3,097 |
117 |
155 |
457 MA |
|
|
2001 |
3,187 |
145 |
186 |
466 MA |
801 |
|
2009 |
3,252 |
|
|
|
834 |
|
2011 |
3,781 MA |
226 MA |
261 MA |
449 MA |
1,012 MA |
1The site of Athens has been inhabited since 3000 BC; Athens was the capital city of Attica in 700 BC.� Captured by the Ottoman Turks in 1453; in 1834 it became the capital of the newly-independent Greek state. Estimated population,
400 BCE, 50,000 citizens and 100,000 slaves.
300 BCE, 21,000 native citizens, 10,000 foreign citizens, and 400,000 slaves.
Wealth; Gross Domestic Product (nominal values)
|
|
GDP, US$ million |
Total GDP, % of USA |
GDP per capita, US$ |
GDP per capita % of USA |
|
1948 |
737 |
0.33 |
95 |
6.23 |
|
1960 |
4,450 |
0.82 |
533 |
17.73 |
|
1965 |
7,600 |
1.02 |
890 |
23.25 |
|
1970 |
13,140 |
1.26 |
1,500 |
28.59 |
|
1975 |
28,525 |
1.74 |
2,747 |
35.13 |
|
1980 |
56,830 |
2.03 |
5,044 |
40.04 |
|
1985 |
47,820 |
1.14 |
4,102 |
22.45 |
|
1990 |
97,900 |
1.69 |
9,600 |
40.08 |
|
1995 |
136,900 |
1.85 |
12,900 |
42.90 |
|
2000 |
130,133 |
1.31 |
12,000 |
32.92 |
|
2005 |
247,800 |
1.89 |
22,500 |
50.78 |
|
2010 |
301,000 |
2.01 |
26,900 |
55.61 |
|
2015 |
194,860 |
1.08 |
18,000 |
32.02 |
|
2016 |
194,560 |
1.05 |
18,100 |
31.50 |
GDP by primary sector
|
|
Agriculture % GDP |
Agriculture % employed |
Industry % GDP |
Industry % employed |
Services % GDP |
Services % employed |
|
1870 |
|
75.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
1907 |
|
62.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
1960 |
|
56.0 |
|
20.0 |
|
24.0 |
|
1970 |
|
42.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
1980 |
|
37.0 |
20.0 |
28.0 |
|
35.0 |
|
1990 |
16.0 |
27.0 |
23.7 |
25.4 |
56.0 |
46.0 |
|
2000 |
7.0 |
17.0 |
22.4 |
21.0 |
70.3 |
59.0 |
|
2010 |
4.0 |
12.4 |
17.6 |
22.4 |
78.5 |
65.1 |
|
2016 |
4.0 |
12.6 |
15.8 |
15.0 |
80.2 |
72.4 |
Communications
Language, % Official; Greek,
|
|
Albanian |
Macedonian |
Greek |
Turkish |
|
1940 |
|
|
96.3 |
1.6 |
|
1951 |
0.3 |
0.5 |
95.6 |
2.4 |
|
1990 |
|
1.5 |
97.0 |
|
|
2000, 2015 |
|
|
99.0 |
|
Literacy
5th C BCE, Athens, 10.0% (M, basic)
58.0% (1928)
62.0% (1940)
74.0% (1951)
82.0% (1960); 88.0% (M), 76.0% (F)
84.0% (1971)
92.5% (1985); 96.0% (M), 89.0% (F)
96.0% (2000); 97.8% (M), 94.2% (F)
97.7% (2015); 98.5% (M), 96.9% (F)
Physical communications � roads and railways,
|
|
Roads (km) |
Surfaced (km) |
Motor vehicles |
Cars |
Commercial Vehicles |
|
1940 |
|
13,500 |
18,100 |
|
|
|
1950 |
|
15,500 |
|
|
|
|
1952 |
|
|
|
9,337 |
21,250 |
|
1955 |
|
|
43,000 |
16,600 |
|
|
1959 |
47,164 |
|
|
|
|
|
1960 |
|
|
|
|
28,784 |
|
1964 |
|
|
149,900 |
39,654 |
70,000 |
|
1977 |
|
|
|
618,600 |
261,200 |
|
1980 |
|
37,000 |
1,419,000 |
879,900 |
402,000 |
|
1990 |
|
38,312 |
2,250,000 |
1,650,000 |
680,000 |
|
2000 |
|
|
4,300,000 |
3,195,065 |
1,058,000 |
|
2003 |
|
39,039 |
|
|
|
|
2005 |
|
|
|
4,303,130 |
1,186,500 |
|
2010 |
116,960 |
41,357 |
6.320,000 |
5,200,000 |
|
Railways;. First railway opened 1869
|
|
Length (km) |
% electrified |
|
1870 |
10 |
|
|
1880 |
10 |
|
|
1890 |
262 |
|
|
1900 |
902 |
|
|
1910 |
1,383 |
|
|
1920 |
2,182 |
|
|
1930 |
2,391 |
|
|
1940 |
2,679 |
|
|
1960 |
2,583 |
|
|
1970 |
2,573 |
|
|
1980 |
2,548 |
|
|
2015 |
2,548 |
30.0 |
Urban metro systems, kilometres
Athens, (opened 2000)
18.0 (2000)
52.0 (2003)
84.5 (2010)
Electronic communications �TV broadcasts began 1966
|
|
Telephones (landlines) |
Mobile Telephones |
Radios |
Televisions |
PCs |
Internet Users |
|
1938 |
49,872 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1946 |
|
|
45,000 |
|
|
|
|
1950 |
|
|
167,000 |
|
|
|
|
1951 |
81,905 |
|
225,000 |
|
|
|
|
1960 |
190.504 |
|
783,000 |
|
|
|
|
1981 |
|
|
861,000 |
|
|
|
|
1962 |
240,418 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1967 |
|
|
1,380,000 |
|
|
|
|
1970 |
761,550 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1976 |
|
|
2,750,000 |
1,160,000 |
|
|
|
1977 |
2,319,800 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1980 |
2,664,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1983 |
|
|
|
1,400,000 |
|
|
|
1985 |
|
|
4,000,000 |
|
|
|
|
1988 |
|
|
|
|
120,000 |
|
|
1990 |
3,950,000 |
|
4,250,000 |
1,970,000 |
175,000 |
|
|
1993 |
|
48,000 |
|
|
|
|
|
1995 |
|
273,000 |
4,500,000 |
2,300,000 |
350,000 |
|
|
1998 |
|
|
|
|
|
111,000 |
|
2000 |
5,430,000 |
5,932,000 |
5,200,000 |
|
750,000 |
|
|
2002 |
|
|
|
5,500,000 |
860,000 |
1,704,000 |
|
2005 |
6,303,500 |
10,042,600 |
|
|
1,101,000 |
3,300,000 |
|
2010 |
5,900,000 |
|
|
|
|
5,050,000 |
|
2016 |
5,126,000 |
12,539,000 |
|
|
|
7,443,000 |
|
2017 |
|
|
|
|
|
7,526,000 |
Tourism: Visitors to Greece,
100,000 (1953)
200,000 (1955)
300,000 (1960)
750,000 (1965)
1,205,889 (1969)
2,813,925 (1971)
1,956,414 (1974)
5,271,115 (1980)
7,939,428 (1985)
8,873,000 (1990)
10,130,000 (1995)
13,096,000 (2000)
14,765,000 (2005)
15,007,000 (2010)
23,599,000 (2015)