Population growth rate in Greece
Greece: Population growth rate was -2.1% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Population growth rate in Greece, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Greece recorded -2.1% for population growth rate in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
That represents a change of down 71.1% on the previous year and down 190.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth rate in Greece peaked at 1.7% in 1976 and was at its lowest, -2.1%, in 2023.
Greece ranks 232nd of 236 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Population growth rate in Greece, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 0.8% | — |
| 1951 | 0.8% | -0.4% |
| 1952 | 0.8% | +1.5% |
| 1953 | 0.9% | +6.5% |
| 1954 | 0.9% | +3.6% |
| 1955 | 1.0% | +6.7% |
| 1956 | 0.9% | -1.7% |
| 1957 | 0.9% | -1.0% |
| 1958 | 1.0% | +4.4% |
| 1959 | 1.0% | +5.5% |
| 1960 | 1.1% | +2.2% |
| 1961 | 0.4% | -58.6% |
| 1962 | 0.2% | -56.9% |
| 1963 | 0.2% | -11.7% |
| 1964 | 0.2% | +21.7% |
| 1965 | 0.2% | +2.0% |
| 1966 | 1.2% | +464.1% |
| 1967 | 0.6% | -49.7% |
| 1968 | 0.9% | +46.8% |
| 1969 | -0.2% | -122.1% |
| 1970 | 0.2% | -208.4% |
| 1971 | 0.7% | +234.5% |
| 1972 | 0.7% | +5.2% |
| 1973 | 0.3% | -63.0% |
| 1974 | 0.5% | +98.9% |
| 1975 | 1.4% | +166.6% |
| 1976 | 1.7% | +21.7% |
| 1977 | 0.9% | -46.8% |
| 1978 | 1.4% | +51.4% |
| 1979 | 1.5% | +6.8% |
| 1980 | 1.2% | -20.9% |
| 1981 | 0.9% | -22.6% |
| 1982 | 0.8% | -13.3% |
| 1983 | 0.7% | -9.6% |
| 1984 | 0.6% | -9.8% |
| 1985 | 0.5% | -18.5% |
| 1986 | 0.5% | -3.4% |
| 1987 | 0.4% | -20.8% |
| 1988 | 0.4% | +9.0% |
| 1989 | 0.4% | -15.4% |
| 1990 | 0.4% | +14.1% |
| 1991 | 0.5% | +22.3% |
| 1992 | 0.5% | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 0.5% | -2.5% |
| 1994 | 0.5% | +4.2% |
| 1995 | 0.5% | -6.9% |
| 1996 | 0.5% | -2.1% |
| 1997 | 0.5% | +6.7% |
| 1998 | 0.5% | -4.1% |
| 1999 | 0.5% | +1.2% |
| 2000 | 0.5% | +5.9% |
| 2001 | 0.6% | +14.0% |
| 2002 | 0.3% | -54.4% |
| 2003 | 0.2% | -9.9% |
| 2004 | 0.3% | +15.5% |
| 2005 | 0.3% | +18.7% |
| 2006 | 0.3% | -11.9% |
| 2007 | 0.2% | -18.6% |
| 2008 | 0.3% | +33.6% |
| 2009 | 0.2% | -25.2% |
| 2010 | 0.1% | -75.9% |
| 2011 | -0.3% | -691.4% |
| 2012 | -0.8% | +119.0% |
| 2013 | -0.7% | -4.7% |
| 2014 | -0.6% | -9.9% |
| 2015 | -0.7% | +6.5% |
| 2016 | -0.2% | -77.7% |
| 2017 | -0.3% | +66.7% |
| 2018 | -0.2% | -34.5% |
| 2019 | -0.1% | -63.5% |
| 2020 | -0.3% | +386.9% |
| 2021 | -2.0% | +561.3% |
| 2022 | -1.2% | -38.2% |
| 2023 | -2.1% | +71.1% |
Greece compared with similar countries
- Greece's -2.1% is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.5%. (85 countries reporting)
- Greece's -2.1% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.1%. (56 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Population growth rate in Greece changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | -691.4% | 0.1% | -0.3% |
| 2021 | -561.3% | -0.3% | -2.0% |
| 1966 | +464.1% | 0.2% | 1.2% |
| 2020 | -386.9% | -0.1% | -0.3% |
| 1971 | +234.5% | 0.2% | 0.7% |
| 1970 | +208.4% | -0.2% | 0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 0.9% | 0.8% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.5% | -0.2% | 1.2% | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.9% | 0.2% | 1.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.6% | 0.4% | 1.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | -0.4% | -0.8% | 0.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | -1.4% | -2.1% | -0.3% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Greece
- 229 American Samoa -1.6% compare
- 230 Tuvalu -1.8% compare
- 231 Vatican -1.8% compare
- 233 Northern Mariana Islands -2.1% compare
- 234 Marshall Islands -3.3% compare
- 235 Cook Islands -3.6% compare
More population data for Greece
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.6525 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -3.38 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.6525 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.6991 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 9,145 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population -0.4091 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.6659 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.7% (2100)
- Population density 48.69 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 223,897 people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population growth rate in Greece?
- Population growth rate in Greece was -2.1% in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest population growth rate recorded in Greece?
- The highest recorded value was 1.7% in 1976.
- What is the lowest population growth rate recorded in Greece?
- The lowest recorded value was -2.1% in 2023.
- How does Greece rank for population growth rate?
- Greece ranks 232nd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population growth rate rising or falling in Greece?
- Over the last ten years it is down 190.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Greece data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Population growth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Annual rate at which the population is growing, expressed as a percentage.