Greece remains on a path of prolonged demographic decline, with the latest official figures from the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) for 2025 painting a stark picture. The downward trend in births continues unabated, deepening concerns about the country’s long-term population trajectory.
Fewer Than 66,000 Births in a Single Year
According to ELSTAT’s data, 2025 saw a drop of 2,873 live births compared to 2024, a decline of 4.2%. Total live births reached just 65,594 (33,620 boys and 31,974 girls), down from 68,467 the previous year. Stillbirths also fell, dropping 7.5% to 420, compared to 454 in 2024.
Looking at the data month by month, the steepest declines were recorded in November (down 10.4%) and January (down 10%). A slight uptick was registered in September (up 3%) and May (up 2.9%).
Mothers Over 40: A Fundamental Shift
A comparison of 2025 figures against the past two decades reveals a profound social transformation: Greek women are becoming mothers at increasingly older ages.
Measured against 2015, the sharpest drop in births falls in the 30 to 34 age group, which recorded 12,356 fewer births. Going back further to 2005, the decline in the 25 to 29 age group is even more striking, with 20,775 fewer births. On the other side of the ledger, births to older mothers have been climbing steadily. In 2025, births to women aged 40 to 44 were up by 1,031 compared to 2015 and by 2,955 compared to 2005.
Greek vs. Foreign-Born Mothers
One particularly notable finding concerns the nationality of mothers. The ratio of births to Greek-citizen mothers versus foreign-born mothers stood at 8.9 to 1 in 2025, reflecting a consistent upward trend from 6.7 to 1 in 2015 and 5.1 to 1 in 2005.
Geographic Decline: Red Across 12 of 13 Regions
The demographic contraction is not uniform, but it touches nearly every corner of the country. In 2025, births fell in 12 out of Greece’s 13 administrative regions. The steepest drops in absolute numbers were recorded in Attica (down 1,007), Central Macedonia (down 656), and the Peloponnese (down 273).
Crete stands out as the sole bright spot on the map, the only region to register a positive result and to hold its ground against the broader wave of low birth rates threatening the country’s foundations.
