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Europe
Page last updated: July 24, 2024
Greece won independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1830 and became a kingdom. During the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, it gradually added neighboring islands and territories, most with Greek-speaking populations. In World War II, Greece was first invaded by Italy (1940) and subsequently occupied by Germany (1941-44); fighting endured in a protracted civil war between supporters of the king and other anti-communist and communist rebels. The communists were defeated in 1949, and Greece joined NATO in 1952. In 1967, a military coup forced the king to flee the country. The ensuing military dictatorship collapsed in 1974, and Greece abolished the monarchy to become a parliamentary republic.
In 1981, Greece joined the EC (now the EU); it became the 12th member of the European Economic and Monetary Union in 2001. From 2009 until 2019, Greece suffered a severe economic crisis due to nearly a decade of chronic overspending and structural rigidities. Beginning in 2010, Greece entered three bailout agreements -- the first two with the European Commission, the European Central Bank, and the IMF; and the third in 2015 with the European Stability Mechanism -- worth in total about $300 billion. The Greek Government formally exited the third bailout in 2018, and Greece's economy has since improved significantly. In 2022, the country finalized its early repayment to the IMF and graduated on schedule from the EU's enhanced surveillance framework.
Southern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, between Albania and Turkey
39°00' N, 22°00' E
Europe
Total : 131,957 km²
Land: 130,647 km²
Water: 1,310 km²
Slightly smaller than Alabama
Area comparison map:
Total: 1,110 km
Border countries (4): Albania 212 km; Bulgaria 472 km; North Macedonia 234 km; Turkey 192 km
13,676 km
Territorial sea: 6 nm
Continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Temperate; mild, wet winters; hot, dry summers
Mountainous with ranges extending into the sea as peninsulas or chains of islands
Highest point: Mount Olympus 2,917
Lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
Mean elevation: 498 m
Note: Mount Olympus actually has 52 peaks but its highest point, Mytikas (meaning "nose"), rises to 2,917 meters; in Greek mythology, Olympus' Mytikas peak was the home of the Greek gods
Lignite, petroleum, iron ore, bauxite, lead, zinc, nickel, magnesite, marble, salt, hydropower potential
Agricultural land: 63.4% (2018 est.)
Arable land: 19.7% (2018 est.)
Permanent crops: 8.9% (2018 est.)
Permanent pasture: 34.8% (2018 est.)
Forest: 30.5% (2018 est.)
Other: 6.1% (2018 est.)
11,853 km² (2019)
One-third of the population lives in and around metropolitan Athens; the remainder of the country has moderate population density mixed with sizeable urban clusters
Severe earthquakes
Volcanism: Santorini (367 m) has been deemed a Decade Volcano by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior, worthy of study due to its explosive history and close proximity to human populations; although there have been very few eruptions in recent centuries, Methana and Nisyros in the Aegean are classified as historically active
Strategic location dominating the Aegean Sea and southern approach to Turkish Straits; a peninsular country, possessing an archipelago of about 2,000 islands
Total: 10,461,091
Male: 5,117,862
Female: 5,343,229 (2024 est.)
Comparison rankings: female 88; male 92; total 90
Noun: Greek(s)
Adjective: Greek
Greek 91.6%, Albanian 4.4%, other 4% (2011 est.)
Note: data represent citizenship; Greece does not collect data on ethnicity
Greek (official) 99%, other (includes English and French) 1%
Major-language sample(s):
Το Παγκόσμιο Βιβλίο Δεδομένων, η απαραίτητη πηγή βασικών πληροφοριών. (Greek)
The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Greek Orthodox 81-90%, Muslim 2%, other 3%, none 4-15%, unspecified 1% (2015 est.)
0-14 years: 13.8% (male 742,131/female 699,079)
15-64 years: 62.6% (male 3,278,906/female 3,267,140)
65 years and over: 23.6% (2024 est.) (male 1,096,825/female 1,377,010)
2023 population pyramid:
Total dependency ratio: 57.7
Youth dependency ratio: 22.2
Elderly dependency ratio: 35.5
Potential support ratio: 2.8 (2021 est.)
Total: 46.5 years (2024 est.)
Male: 44.6 years
Female: 48.3 years
-0.35% (2024 est.)
7.4 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)
12 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)
1.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)
One-third of the population lives in and around metropolitan Athens; the remainder of the country has moderate population density mixed with sizeable urban clusters
Urban population: 80.7% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 0.11% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030
3.154 million ATHENS (capital), 815,000 Thessaloniki (2023)
At birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
30.7 years (2020 est.)
8 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
Total: 3.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male: 3.8 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 3 deaths/1,000 live births
Total population: 81.9 years (2024 est.)
Male: 79.4 years
Female: 84.6 years
1.41 children born/woman (2024 est.)
0.68 (2024 est.)
NA
Improved: urban: 100% of population
Rural: 100% of population
Total: 100% of population
Unimproved: urban: 0% of population
Rural: 0% of population
Total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
9.5% of GDP (2020)
6.31 physicians/1,000 population (2019)
4.2 beds/1,000 population (2018)
Improved: urban: 100% of population
Rural: 100% of population
Total: 100% of population
Unimproved: urban: 0% of population
Rural: 0% of population
Total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
24.9% (2016)
Total: 6.33 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Beer: 2.13 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Wine: 2.66 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Spirits: 1.45 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Other alcohols: 0.08 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Total: 33.5% (2020 est.)
Male: 36.5% (2020 est.)
Female: 30.5% (2020 est.)
NA
54.1% (2023 est.)
4.4% of GDP (2020 est.)
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 97.9%
Male: 98.5%
Female: 97.4% (2018)
Total: 20 years
Male: 20 years
Female: 20 years (2020)
Air pollution; air emissions from transport and electricity power stations; water pollution; degradation of coastal zones; loss of biodiversity in terrestrial and marine ecosystems; increasing municipal and industrial waste
Party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands
Signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds
Temperate; mild, wet winters; hot, dry summers
Agricultural land: 63.4% (2018 est.)
Arable land: 19.7% (2018 est.)
Permanent crops: 8.9% (2018 est.)
Permanent pasture: 34.8% (2018 est.)
Forest: 30.5% (2018 est.)
Other: 6.1% (2018 est.)
Urban population: 80.7% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 0.11% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030
0.01% of GDP (2018 est.)
0.04% of GDP (2018 est.)
Particulate matter emissions: 14.62 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 62.43 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 9.8 megatons (2020 est.)
Municipal solid waste generated annually: 5,477,424 tons (2014 est.)
Municipal solid waste recycled annually: 1,040,711 tons (2014 est.)
Percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 19% (2014 est.)
Municipal: 1.69 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Industrial: 330 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Agricultural: 8.11 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
68.4 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
Total global geoparks and regional networks: 9 (2024)
Global geoparks and regional networks: Chelmos Vouraikos; Grevena - Kozani; Kefalonia-Ithaca; Lavreotiki; Lesvos Island; Meteora Pyli; Psiloritis; Sitia; Vikos - Aoos (2024)
Conventional long form: Hellenic Republic
Conventional short form: Greece
Local long form: Elliniki Dimokratia
Local short form: Ellas or Ellada
Former: Hellenic State, Kingdom of Greece
Etymology: the English name derives from the Roman (Latin) designation "Graecia," meaning "Land of the Greeks"; the Greeks call their country "Hellas" or "Ellada"
Parliamentary republic
Name: Athens
Geographic coordinates: 37 59 N, 23 44 E
Time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Etymology: Athens is the oldest European capital city; according to tradition, the city is named after Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom; in actuality, the appellation probably derives from a lost name in a pre-Hellenic language
13 regions (perifereies, singular - perifereia) and 1 autonomous monastic state* (aftonomi monastiki politeia); Agion Oros* (Mount Athos), Anatoliki Makedonia kai Thraki (East Macedonia and Thrace), Attiki (Attica), Dytiki Ellada (West Greece), Dytiki Makedonia (West Macedonia), Ionia Nisia (Ionian Islands), Ipeiros (Epirus), Kentriki Makedonia (Central Macedonia), Kriti (Crete), Notio Aigaio (South Aegean), Peloponnisos (Peloponnese), Sterea Ellada (Central Greece), Thessalia (Thessaly), Voreio Aigaio (North Aegean)
3 February 1830 (from the Ottoman Empire); note - 25 March 1821, outbreak of the national revolt against the Ottomans; 3 February 1830, signing of the London Protocol recognizing Greek independence by Great Britain, France, and Russia
Independence Day, 25 March (1821)
History: many previous; latest entered into force 11 June 1975
Amendments: proposed by at least 50 members of Parliament and agreed by three-fifths majority vote in two separate ballots at least 30 days apart; passage requires absolute majority vote by the next elected Parliament; entry into force finalized through a "special parliamentary resolution"; articles on human rights and freedoms and the form of government cannot be amended; amended 1986, 2001, 2008, 2019
Civil legal system based on Roman law
Accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Greece
Dual citizenship recognized: yes
Residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years
17 years of age; universal and compulsory
Chief of state: President Ekaterini SAKELLAROPOULOU (since 13 March 2020)
Head of government: Prime Minister Kyriakos MITSOTAKIS (since 26 June 2023)
Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister
Elections/appointments: president elected by Hellenic Parliament for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 22 January 2020 (next to be held by February 2025); president appoints as prime minister the leader of the majority party or coalition in the Hellenic Parliament
Election results:
2020: Katerina SAKELLAROPOULOU (independent) elected president by Parliament - 261 of 300 votes; note - SAKELLAROPOULOU is Greece's first woman president
2015: Prokopis PAVLOPOULOS (ND) elected president by Parliament - 233 of 300 votes
Description: unicameral Hellenic Parliament or Vouli ton Ellinon (300 seats; 280 members in multi-seat and single-seat constituencies and 15 members - including 3 seats for Greek diaspora - in a single nationwide constituency directly elected by open party-list proportional representation vote; members serve up to 4 years); note - only parties surpassing a 3% threshold are entitled to parliamentary seats; parties need 10 seats to become formal parliamentary groups but can retain that status if the party participated in the last election and received the minimum 3% threshold
Elections: last held on 25 June 2023 (next to be held in 2027)
Election results: percent of vote by party - ND 40.6%, SYRIZA-PS 17.8%, PASOK-KINAL 11.9%, KKE 7.7%, Spartans 4.6%, Greek Solution 4.4%, NIKI 3.7%, Course of Freedom 3.2%, other 6.1%; seats by party - ND 158, SYRIZA-PS 48, PASOK-KINAL 32, KKE 20, Spartans 12, Greek Solution 12, NIKI 10, Course of Freedom 8; composition - men 231, women 69, percentage women 23%
Highest court(s): Supreme Civil and Criminal Court or Areios Pagos (consists of 56 judges, including the court presidents); Council of State (supreme administrative court) (consists of the president, 7 vice presidents, 42 privy councilors, 48 associate councilors and 50 reporting judges, organized into six 5- and 7-member chambers; Court of Audit (government audit and enforcement) consists of the president, 5 vice presidents, 20 councilors, and 90 associate and reporting judges
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by presidential decree on the advice of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), which includes the president of the Supreme Court, other judges, and the prosecutor of the Supreme Court; judges appointed for life following a 2-year probationary period; Council of State president appointed by the Greek Cabinet to serve a 4-year term; other judge appointments and tenure NA; Court of Audit president appointed by decree of the president of the republic on the advice of the SJC; court president serves a 4-year term or until age 67; tenure of vice presidents, councilors, and judges NA
Subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal and Courts of First Instance (district courts)
Coalition of the Radical Left-Progressive Alliance or SYRIZA-PS [Stefanos KASSELAKIS]
Communist Party of Greece or KKE [Dimitrios KOUTSOUMBAS]
Course of Freedom [Zoe KONSTANTOPOULOU]
Democratic Patriotic Movement-Victory or NIKI [Dimitris NATSIOS]
Greek Solution [Kyriakos VELOPOULOS]
New Democracy or ND [Kyriakos MITSOTAKIS]
PASOK - Movement for Change or PASOK-KINAL [Nikolaos (Nikos) ANDROULAKIS]
Spartans [Vassilis STIGAS]
Australia Group, BIS, BSEC, CD, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD (partners), IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, SELEC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Nine equal horizontal stripes of blue alternating with white; a blue square bearing a white cross appears in the upper hoist-side corner; the cross symbolizes Greek Orthodoxy, the established religion of the country; there is no agreed upon meaning for the nine stripes or for the colors
Note: Greek legislation states that the flag colors are cyan and white, but cyan can mean "blue" in Greek, so the exact shade of blue has never been set and has varied from a light to a dark blue over time; in general, the hue of blue normally encountered is a form of azure
Greek cross (white cross on blue field, arms equal length); national colors: blue, white
Name: "Ymnos eis tin Eleftherian" (Hymn to Liberty)
Lyrics/music: Dionysios SOLOMOS/Nikolaos MANTZAROS
Note: adopted 1864; the anthem is based on a 158-stanza poem by the same name, which was inspired by the Greek Revolution of 1821 against the Ottomans (only the first two stanzas are used); Cyprus also uses "Hymn to Liberty" as its anthem
Total World Heritage Sites: 19 (17 cultural, 2 mixed)
Selected World Heritage Site locales: Acropolis, Athens (c); Archaeological site of Delphi (c); Meteora (m); Medieval City of Rhodes (c); Archaeological site of Olympia (c); Archaeological site of Mycenae and Tiryns (c); Old Town of Corfu (c); Mount Athos (m); Delos (c); Archaeological Site of Philippi (c)
Developed EU and eurozone economy; strong post-COVID growth driven by tourism, shipping industry, exports, and foreign investment supported by EU cohesion funds; public debt remains high despite recent budget surplus; challenges from negative household savings, high unemployment, corruption, and competitiveness gaps
$375.78 billion (2023 est.)
$368.37 billion (2022 est.)
$348.977 billion (2021 est.)
Note: data in 2021 dollars
2.01% (2023 est.)
5.56% (2022 est.)
8.38% (2021 est.)
Note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency
$36,300 (2023 est.)
$35,300 (2022 est.)
$33,000 (2021 est.)
Note: data in 2021 dollars
$238.206 billion (2023 est.)
Note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate
3.46% (2023 est.)
9.65% (2022 est.)
1.22% (2021 est.)
Note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Fitch rating: BB (2020)
Moody's rating: Ba3 (2020)
Standard & Poors rating: BB- (2019)
Note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
Agriculture: 4.1% (2017 est.)
Industry: 16.9% (2017 est.)
Services: 79.1% (2017 est.)
Comparison rankings: services 34; industry 171; agriculture 136
Household consumption: 69.6% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 20.1% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 12.5% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: -1% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 33.4% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -34.7% (2017 est.)
Maize, wheat, sheep milk, peaches/nectarines, oranges, grapes, tomatoes, milk, watermelons, potatoes (2022)
Note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
Tourism, food and tobacco processing, textiles, chemicals, metal products; mining, petroleum
1.68% (2023 est.)
Note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency
4.645 million (2023 est.)
Note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work
11% (2023 est.)
12.43% (2022 est.)
14.66% (2021 est.)
Note: % of labor force seeking employment
Total: 36.9% (2021 est.)
Male: 33.5%
Female: 41.5%
18.8% (2021 est.)
Note: % of population with income below national poverty line
32.9 (2021 est.)
Note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality
On food: 17.6% of household expenditures (2021 est.)
On alcohol and tobacco: 4.8% of household expenditures (2021 est.)
Lowest 10%: 2.6% (2021 est.)
Highest 10%: 24.8% (2021 est.)
Note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population
0.22% of GDP (2023 est.)
0.28% of GDP (2022 est.)
0.32% of GDP (2021 est.)
Note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities
Revenues: $98.523 billion (2019 est.)
Expenditures: $97.277 billion (2019 est.)
0.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
203.29% of GDP (2022 est.)
237.49% of GDP (2021 est.)
253.23% of GDP (2020 est.)
Note: central government debt as a % of GDP
27.81% (of GDP) (2022 est.)
Note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP
-$15.056 billion (2023 est.)
-$22.623 billion (2022 est.)
-$13.858 billion (2021 est.)
Note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars
$106.65 billion (2023 est.)
$106.189 billion (2022 est.)
$87.521 billion (2021 est.)
Note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars
Italy 10%, Bulgaria 7%, Germany 6%, Cyprus 5%, Turkey 5% (2022)
Note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Refined petroleum, packaged medicine, aluminum, natural gas, plastic products (2022)
Note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
$117.922 billion (2023 est.)
$127.82 billion (2022 est.)
$103.532 billion (2021 est.)
Note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars
China 12%, Germany 9%, Russia 9%, Italy 7%, Iraq 7% (2022)
Note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Crude petroleum, natural gas, refined petroleum, garments, packaged medicine (2022)
Note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
$13.608 billion (2023 est.)
$12.061 billion (2022 est.)
$14.447 billion (2021 est.)
Note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars
$484.888 billion (2019 est.)
$478.646 billion (2018 est.)
Euros (EUR) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
0.925 (2023 est.)
0.95 (2022 est.)
0.845 (2021 est.)
0.876 (2020 est.)
0.893 (2019 est.)
Electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)
Installed generating capacity: 22.336 million kW (2022 est.)
Consumption: 47.283 billion kWh (2022 est.)
Exports: 4.303 billion kWh (2022 est.)
Imports: 7.751 billion kWh (2022 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 5.344 billion kWh (2022 est.)
Comparison rankings: transmission/distribution losses 166; imports 34; exports 41; consumption 55; installed generating capacity 45
Fossil fuels: 53.4% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Solar: 14.5% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Wind: 22.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Hydroelectricity: 8.9% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Biomass and waste: 1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)
Production: 13.703 million metric tons (2022 est.)
Consumption: 13.988 million metric tons (2022 est.)
Exports: 362,000 metric tons (2022 est.)
Imports: 71,000 metric tons (2022 est.)
Proven reserves: 2.876 billion metric tons (2022 est.)
Total petroleum production: 5,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 303,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 10 million barrels (2021 est.)
Production: 3.284 million cubic meters (2021 est.)
Consumption: 5.173 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Exports: 10.647 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Imports: 15.946 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)
Proven reserves: 991.09 million cubic meters (2021 est.)
62.142 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 6.449 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 45.457 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 10.236 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)
94.151 million Btu/person (2022 est.)
Total subscriptions: 4.907 million (2022 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 47 (2022 est.)
Total subscriptions: 11.326 million (2022 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 109 (2022 est.)
General assessment: Greece’s telecom market is susceptible to the country’s volatile economy, and, as a result, revenue among the key networks has been variable; broadband subscriptions in Greece are developing steadily; the main networks are concentrating investment on fiber-based next generation networks, enabling them to reach the European broadband targets for 2025; their work is also supported by government ultra-fast broadband projects, largely funded by the EC and aimed at delivering a service of at least 100Mb/s to under served areas; Greece’s well-developed mobile market is dominated by the three MNOs; Networks continue to invest in LTE infrastructure and technologies to provide networks capable of meeting customer demand for data services; after extensive trials of 5G, the MNOs were able to launch commercial services in early 2021 following the December 2020 allocation of frequencies in a range of bands; the rapid rollout of 5G encouraged the shut down of the 3G network (a process expected to be completed by the end of 2021) and reallocate for LTE and 5G. (2023)
Domestic: 47 per 100 subscribers for fixed-line and 110 per 100 for mobile-cellular (2021)
International: country code - 30; landing points for the SEA-ME-WE-3, Adria-1, Italy-Greece 1, OTEGLOBE, MedNautilus Submarine System, Aphrodite 2, AAE-1 and Silphium optical telecommunications submarine cable that provides links to Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia, Asia and Australia; tropospheric scatter; satellite earth stations - 4 (2 Intelsat - 1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean, 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat - Indian Ocean region) (2019)
Broadcast media dominated by the private sector; roughly 150 private TV channels, about 10 of which broadcast nationwide; 1 government-owned terrestrial TV channel with national coverage; 3 privately owned satellite channels; multi-channel satellite and cable TV services available; upwards of 1,500 radio stations, all of them privately owned; government-owned broadcaster has 2 national radio stations
.gr
Total: 7.8 million (2021 est.)
Percent of population: 78% (2021 est.)
Total: 4,257,026 (2020 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 41 (2020 est.)
Number of registered air carriers: 11 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 97
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 15,125,933 (2018)
Annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 21.91 million (2018) mt-km
SX
81 (2024)
51 (2024)
1,466 km gas, 94 km oil (2013)
Total: 2,345 km (2020) 731 km electrified
Total: 117,000 km (2018)
6 km (2012) (the 6-km-long Corinth Canal crosses the Isthmus of Corinth; it shortens a sea voyage by 325 km)
Total: 1,215 (2023)
By type: bulk carrier 132, container ship 4, general cargo 79, oil tanker 299, other 701
Total ports: 57 (2024)
Large: 1
Medium: 7
Small: 7
Very small: 42
Ports with oil terminals: 13
Key ports: Alexandroupoli, Iraklion, Kerkira, Ormos Aliveriou, Piraievs, Soudha, Thessaloniki, Volos
Hellenic Armed Forces: Hellenic Army (Ellinikos Stratos, ES; includes National Guard), Hellenic Navy (Elliniko Polemiko Navtiko, EPN), Hellenic Air Force (Elliniki Polemiki Aeroporia, EPA; includes air defense) (2024)
Note 1: the police (under the Ministry of Citizen Protection) and the armed forces (Ministry of National Defense) share law enforcement duties in certain border areas; the Greek Coast Guard is under the Ministry of Shipping Affairs and Island Policy
Note 2: the National Guard was established in 1982 as an official part of the Army to help protect Greece and provide reinforcements and support to the Army in peacetime and in times of mobilization and war; members undergo weekly training run by the Army, which also provides weapons and ammunition
3.1% of GDP (2024 est.)
3.1% of GDP (2023)
3.9% of GDP (2022)
3.7% of GDP (2021)
2.9% of GDP (2020)
Approximately 115,000 active-duty personnel (80,000 Army; 15,000 Navy; 20,000 Air Force); approximately 35,000 National Guard (2024)
The military's inventory consists of a mix of imported weapons from Europe and the US, as well as a limited number of domestically produced systems; in recent years, France, Germany, and the US have been the top suppliers; Greece's defense industry is capable of producing a range of military hardware, including naval vessels and associated subsystems (2023)
Note: Greece is in the midst of a significant military modernization program which includes acquisitions of fighter aircraft and naval ships from France and armored vehicles and tanks from Germany; it has also boosted purchases of US equipment, including fighter aircraft upgrades, helicopters, and naval patrol craft
19-45 years of age for compulsory military service for men; 12-month obligation for all services (note - as an exception, the duration of the full military service is 9 instead of 12 months if conscripts, after the initial training, serve the entire remaining time in certain areas of the eastern borders, in Cyprus, or in certain military units); 18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women (2023)
Note 1: compulsory service applies to any individual whom the Greek authorities consider to be Greek, regardless of whether the individual considers himself Greek, has a foreign citizenship and passport, or was born or lives outside of Greece; Greek citizens living permanently outside of Greece have the right to postpone their conscription; they are permanently exempted from their military obligations when they reach the age of 45 years old
Note 2: up to 50% of the Greek military is comprised of conscripts
Note 3: as of 2020, women comprised approximately 16% of the military's full-time personnel
Approximately 1,000 Cyprus; 110 Kosovo (NATO); 120 Lebanon (UNIFIL) (2024)
The Hellenic Armed Forces (HAF) are responsible for protecting Greece’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity; the HAF also maintains a presence on Cyprus (the Hellenic Force in Cyprus or ELDYK) to assist and support the Cypriot National Guard; as a member of the EU, NATO, and other international organizations, the HAF participates in multinational peacekeeping and other security missions abroad, taking a particular interest in missions occurring in the near regions, such as the Balkans, the Mediterranean and Aegean seas, the Middle East, and North Africa; areas of focus for the HAF include instability in the Balkans, territorial disputes with Turkey, and support to European security through the EU and NATO
Greece’s NATO membership is a key component of its security; it became a NATO member in 1952 and occupies a strategic location in the Eastern Mediterranean on NATO’s southern flank; Greece is host to several NATO facilities, including the Deployable Corps Greece (NDC-GR) headquarters in Thessaloniki, the Combined Air Operations Center in Larissa, the Multinational Peace Support Operations Training Center in Kilkis, the Multinational Sealift Coordination Center in Athens, and the Naval Base, Maritime Interdiction Operational Training Centre, and NATO Missile Firing Installation at Souda, Crete (2024)
Hellenic Space Center (HSC; aka Hellenic Space Agency; established 2018) (2024)
Has a relatively new and growing space program focused on building and operating satellites; also researches and develops technologies in a variety of other space sectors, including such areas as remote sensing (RS), telecommunications, defense, environmental studies, and agricultural development; has a national space strategy; as a member of the European Space Agency (ESA), it contributes to, participates in, and benefits from ESA capabilities and programs; cooperates with space agencies and commercial space sectors of ESA and EU member states, as well as the US; has a robust commercial space sector that researches, develops, and produces a variety of space technologies and capabilities, including satellite components, electronics, sensors, and communications (2024)
Note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in the Space Programs reference guide
Terrorist group(s): Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); Revolutionary Struggle; Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/Front (DHKP/C)
Note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in the Terrorism reference guide
Refugees (country of origin): 41,594 (Syria), 33,549 (Afghanistan), 14,228 (Iraq), 6,366 (West Bank and Gaza) (mid-year 2022); 27,365 (Ukraine) (as of 31 December 2023)
Stateless persons: 4,488 (2022)
Note: 1,289,013 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-March 2024)
A gateway to Europe for traffickers smuggling cannabis products and heroin from the Middle East and Southwest Asia to the West and precursor chemicals to the East; some South American cocaine transits or is consumed in Greece; money laundering related to drug trafficking and organized crime