Greece is recording 185 deaths for every 100 births, according to data presented at a demographic conference held last w...

Greece is recording 185 deaths for every 100 births, according to data presented at a demographic conference held last week in Chios, putting a hard number on a crisis that scientists say is now among the country's most pressing challenges. The figures were presented at a conference organized by the Ithaca Demographic Forum, the Hellenic Society of Reproductive Medicine, and the Greek Inter-municipal Network of Healthy Cities. Experts warned that in many parts of regional Greece, couples of childbearing age have essentially disappeared from entire communities. Demography professor Vyron Kotzamanis, director at the Institute of Demographic Research and Studies, described Chios as a microcosm of the broader national problem. The birth rate has collapsed from 2.4 births per woman in 1970 to just 1.24 in 2024. Kindergarten enrollment on Chios alone is projected to fall nearly 20 percent between the 2020-2021 school year and 2026-2027. The border islands are being hit hardest. Chios, which once had a population of around 130,000 before the Massacre of Chios, now counts just over 50,000 residents. The nearby islands of Oinousses and Psara have shrunk to 911 and 420 residents respectively. Bank of Greece Governor Yannis Stournaras pointed to the housing crisis as a key driver, arguing that limited access to affordable housing is pushing young Greeks to delay or abandon family formation altogether. Konstantinos Pantos of the Hellenic Society of Reproductive Medicine added that the fastest-growing group now attempting to have children is women over 40, which sharply reduces the likelihood of larger families. Conference participants agreed that coordinated action between the state, the scientific community, and local governments is needed urgently to reverse the trend, though no specific legislative measures were announced. #Greece #Demographics #GreekIslands