2023 Edition

Background

Greece achieved independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1830. 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. Following the latter's defeat in 1949, Greece joined NATO in 1952. In 1967, a group of military officers seized power, establishing a military dictatorship that suspended many political liberties and forced the king to flee the country. In 1974 following the collapse of the dictatorship, democratic elections and a referendum created a parliamentary republic and abolished the monarchy. 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 August 2018.

Area

land

130,647 sq km

total

131,957 sq km

water

1,310 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Alabama

Climate

temperate; mild, wet winters; hot, dry summers

Coastline

13,676 km

Elevation

highest point

Mount Olympus 2,917

lowest point

Mediterranean Sea 0 m

mean elevation

498 m

note

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

Geographic coordinates

39 00 N, 22 00 E

Geography - note

strategic location dominating the Aegean Sea and southern approach to Turkish Straits; a peninsular country, possessing an archipelago of about 2,000 islands

Irrigated land

11,853 sq km (2019)

Land boundaries

border countries

Albania 212 km; Bulgaria 472 km; North Macedonia 234 km; Turkey 192 km

total

1,110 km

Land use

agricultural land

63.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 19.7% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 8.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 34.8% (2018 est.)

forest

30.5% (2018 est.)

other

6.1% (2018 est.)

Location

Southern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, between Albania and Turkey

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

continental shelf

200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

territorial sea

6 nm

Natural hazards

severe earthquakesvolcanism: 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

Natural resources

lignite, petroleum, iron ore, bauxite, lead, zinc, nickel, magnesite, marble, salt, hydropower potential

Population distribution

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

Terrain

mountainous with ranges extending into the sea as peninsulas or chains of islands

Age structure

0-14 years

14.02% (male 758,311/female 713,794)

15-64 years

62.66% (male 3,285,484/female 3,292,524)

65 years and over

23.31% (2023 est.) (male 1,086,188/female 1,361,294)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

2.13 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0.08 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

1.45 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

6.33 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

2.66 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

7.5 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

NA

Current health expenditure

9.5% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

54.1% (2023 est.)

Death rate

12 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

35.5

potential support ratio

2.8 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

57.7

youth dependency ratio

22.2

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 100% of population

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 0% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

Education expenditures

4.4% of GDP (2020 est.)

Ethnic groups

Greek 91.6%, Albanian 4.4%, other 4% (2011 est.)

note

note: data represent citizenship; Greece does not collect data on ethnicity

Gross reproduction rate

0.68 (2023 est.)

Hospital bed density

4.2 beds/1,000 population (2018)

Infant mortality rate

female

3.1 deaths/1,000 live births

male

3.9 deaths/1,000 live births

total

3.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)

Languages

Languages

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.

Life expectancy at birth

female

84.4 years

male

79.2 years

total population

81.7 years (2023 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

97.4% (2018)

male

98.5%

total population

97.9%

Major urban areas - population

3.154 million ATHENS (capital), 815,000 Thessaloniki (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

8 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

female

47.9 years

male

44.3 years

total

46.2 years (2023 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

30.7 years (2020 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Greek

noun

Greek(s)

Net migration rate

1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

24.9% (2016)

Physicians density

6.31 physicians/1,000 population (2019)

Population

10,497,595 (2023 est.)

Population distribution

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

Population growth rate

-0.35% (2023 est.)

Religions

Greek Orthodox 81-90%, Muslim 2%, other 3%, none 4-15%, unspecified 1% (2015 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 100% of population

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 0% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

20 years (2020)

male

20 years

total

20 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years

1 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.8 male(s)/female

at birth

1.07 male(s)/female

total population

0.96 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Tobacco use

female

30.5% (2020 est.)

male

36.5% (2020 est.)

total

33.5% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.4 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.11% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

80.7% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

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)

Capital

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

geographic coordinates

37 59 N, 23 44 E

name

Athens

time difference

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

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

Constitution

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

history

many previous; latest entered into force 11 June 1975

Country name

conventional long form

Hellenic Republic

conventional short form

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"

former

Hellenic State, Kingdom of Greece

local long form

Elliniki Dimokratia

local short form

Ellas or Ellada

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador George James TSUNIS (since 10 May 2022)

consulate(s) general

Thessaloniki

email address and website

athensamericancitizenservices@state.govhttps://gr.usembassy.gov/

embassy

91 Vasillisis Sophias Avenue, 10160 Athens

FAX

[30] (210) 724-5313

mailing address

7100 Athens Place, Washington DC  20521-7100

telephone

[30] (210) 721-2951

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2217 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Theodoros BIZAKIS (since 22 September 2023)

consulate(s)

Atlanta, Houston

consulate(s) general

Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Tampa (FL), San Francisco

email address and website

gremb.was@mfa.grhttps://www.mfa.gr/usa/en/the-embassy/

FAX

[1] (202) 939-1324

telephone

[1] (202) 939-1300

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister

chief of state

President Ekaterini SAKELLAROPOULOU (since 13 March 2020)

election results

2020: Katerina SAKELLAROPOULOU (independent) elected president by Parliament - 261 of 300 votes; note - SAKELLAROPOULOU is Greece's first woman president2015: Prokopis PAVLOPOULOS (ND) elected president by Parliament - 233 of 300 votes

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

head of government

Prime Minister Kyriakos MITSOTAKIS (since 26 June 2023)

Flag description

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

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

Government type

parliamentary republic

Independence

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

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

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, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Judicial branch

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)

Legal system

civil legal system based on Roman law

Legislative branch

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

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, percent of women 23%

elections

last held on 25 June 2023 (next to be held in 2027)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Dionysios SOLOMOS/Nikolaos MANTZAROS

name

"Ymnos eis tin Eleftherian" (Hymn to Liberty)

note

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

National heritage

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)

total World Heritage Sites

18 (16 cultural, 2 mixed)

National holiday

Independence Day, 25 March (1821)

National symbol(s)

Greek cross (white cross on blue field, arms equal length); national colors: blue, white

Political parties and leaders

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]

Suffrage

17 years of age; universal and compulsory

Agricultural products

maize, olives, wheat, milk, peaches/nectarines, oranges, tomatoes, grapes, milk, potatoes

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

4.9% of household expenditures (2018 est.)

on food

17.1% of household expenditures (2018 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$97.277 billion (2019 est.)

revenues

$98.523 billion (2019 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

0.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

BB (2020)

Moody's rating

Ba3 (2020)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

BB- (2019)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2019

-$3.112 billion (2019 est.)

Current account balance 2020

-$12.413 billion (2020 est.)

Current account balance 2021

-$13.858 billion (2021 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2018

$478.646 billion (2018 est.)

Debt - external 2019

$484.888 billion (2019 est.)

Economic overview

tourism- and shipping-based EU economy; clientelism economic culture and systemic corruption; new structural reforms for fiscal solvency; high public debts and unemployment; increasing Chinese port control; oil and gas disputes with Turkey

Exchange rates

Currency

euros (EUR) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2017

0.885 (2017 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

0.847 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

0.893 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

0.876 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

0.845 (2021 est.)

Exports

Exports 2019

$81.184 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports 2020

$59.022 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports 2021

$87.521 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports - commodities

refined petroleum, packaged medicines, aluminum plating, cotton, cheese, copper piping (2021)

Exports - partners

Italy 10%, Germany 7%, Turkey 5%, Cyprus 5%, Bulgaria 5% (2019)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

33.4% (2017 est.)

government consumption

20.1% (2017 est.)

household consumption

69.6% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-34.7% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

12.5% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

-1% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

4.1% (2017 est.)

industry

16.9% (2017 est.)

services

79.1% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$209.79 billion (2019 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2019

33.1 (2019 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

26.7% (2015 est.)

lowest 10%

1.7%

Imports

Imports 2019

$83.192 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2020

$71.758 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2021

$103.532 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - commodities

crude petroleum, refined petroleum, packaged medicines, cars, ships (2019)

Imports - partners

Germany 11%, China 9%, Italy 8%, Iraq 7%, Russia 6%, Netherlands 5% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

10.67% (2021 est.)

Industries

tourism, food and tobacco processing, textiles, chemicals, metal products; mining, petroleum

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

0.25% (2019 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020

-1.25% (2020 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

1.22% (2021 est.)

Labor force

4.619 million (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

17.9% (2018 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2018

208.84% of GDP (2018 est.)

Public debt 2019

212.38% of GDP (2019 est.)

Public debt 2020

252.29% of GDP (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$318.662 billion (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$289.97 billion (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$314.427 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2019

1.88% (2019 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2020

-9% (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2021

8.43% (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2019

$29,700 (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$27,100 (2020 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2021

$29,500 (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2019

$8.507 billion (31 December 2019 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2020

$11.931 billion (31 December 2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2021

$14.447 billion (31 December 2021 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

24.74% (of GDP) (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2019

17.31% (2019 est.)

Unemployment rate 2020

16.3% (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate 2021

14.8% (2021 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

41.5%

male

33.5%

total

36.9% (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

13.404 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas

10.358 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

46.401 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

total emissions

70.163 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

consumption

13.828 million metric tons (2020 est.)

exports

7,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports

305,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

production

13.851 million metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves

2.876 billion metric tons (2019 est.)

Electricity

consumption

46.18 billion kWh (2020 est.)

exports

967 million kWh (2020 est.)

imports

9.831 billion kWh (2020 est.)

installed generating capacity

21.545 million kW (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

3.256 billion kWh (2020 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2021)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

1.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

fossil fuels

56.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity

8.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar

10.7% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind

23% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2019

108.022 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

5,831,987,000 cubic meters (2020 est.)

exports

33.244 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

imports

5,219,409,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)

production

5.748 million cubic meters (2019 est.)

proven reserves

991 million cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil and lease condensate exports

4,100 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports

491,300 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves

10 million barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

309,600 bbl/day (2019 est.)

total petroleum production

4,800 bbl/day (2021 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

371,900 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

192,200 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

655,400 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

41 (2020 est.)

total

4,257,026 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

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

Internet country code

.gr

Internet users

percent of population

78% (2021 est.)

total

7.8 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

47 per 100 subscribers for fixed-line and 110 per 100 for mobile-cellular (2021)

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)

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)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

47 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

4,913,036 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

110 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

11,494,008 (2021 est.)

Airports

77 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

68

note

note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

9

note

note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

SX

Heliports

9 (2021)

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 146, container ship 5, general cargo 83, oil tanker 311, other 689

total

1,234 (2022)

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

21.91 million (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

15,125,933 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

97

number of registered air carriers

11 (2020)

Pipelines

1,466 km gas, 94 km oil (2013)

Ports and terminals

container port(s) (TEUs)

Piraeus (5,311,810) (2021)

LNG terminal(s) (import)

Revithoussa

major seaport(s)

Aspropyrgos, Pachi, Piraeus, Thessaloniki

oil terminal(s)

Agioi Theodoroi

Railways

total

2,345 km (2020) 731 km electrified

Roadways

total

117,000 km (2018)

Waterways

6 km (2012) (the 6-km-long Corinth Canal crosses the Isthmus of Corinth; it shortens a sea voyage by 325 km)

Military - note

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 NATOGreece’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 the Hellenic Army (established 1828) consists of the Active Army, the National Guard, the High Readiness Army Reserves, and the Reserves; the active Army has an army and several corps-level command formations, including a command for the Aegean Islands, a corps in Thrace to guard the Greco-Turkish land border, and the NDC-GR; there are several divisional headquarters and about 20 combat brigades, which include air mobile, airborne, amphibious, armored, helicopter aviation, infantry, and mechanized forces; National Guard units are organized into divisional and brigade-sized commands and typically based in border regions, both on the mainland and on some of Greece’s islandsalso established in 1828, the Navy’s missions include naval presence operations, the protection of Greek sovereign rights, such as the continental shelf, EEZ, and Greek-owned shipping, the security of Greece’s sea lines of communication, and power projection; it has separate commands for frigates, patrol ships, mine warfare, submarines, the Aegean Sea, surveillance, amphibious, aviation, and special operations; its principal warships include 13 frigates and 10 attack submarines, which are supplemented by fast-attack and patrol vessels of varying size and capabilitiesthe Air Force, established in 1911, is organized into wings, squadrons, and groups and has nearly 200 combat aircraft of French and US origin, plus early warning, maritime patrol, reconnaissance, tanker, and transport aircraft, as well as helicopters; it also has air and missile defense units (2023)

Military and security forces

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) (2023)

note

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; border protection is coordinated by a deputy minister for national defense; the Greek Coast Guard is under the Ministry of Shipping Affairs and Island Policynote 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

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 120,000 active-duty personnel (85,000 Army; 15,000 Navy; 20,000 Air Force); approximately 35,000 National Guard (2023)

Military deployments

approximately 1,000 Cyprus; 100 Kosovo (NATO); 140 Lebanon (UNIFIL) (2023)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

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

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

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2019

2.5% of GDP (2019)

Military Expenditures 2020

2.9% of GDP (2020)

Military Expenditures 2021

3.7% of GDP (2021)

Military Expenditures 2022

3.9% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

3% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military service age and obligation

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

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 oldnote 2: up to 50% of the Greek military is comprised of conscriptsnote 3: as of 2020, women comprised approximately 16% of the military's full-time personnel

Disputes - international

Greece and Turkey continue discussions to resolve their complex maritime, air, territorial, and boundary disputes in the Aegean Sea; Greece has a security wall along a portion of its land border with Turkey to deter border crossings by migrants and has announced intentions to extend the wall along the entire border

Illicit drugs

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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

note

note: 1,272,420 estimated refugee and migrant arrivals (January 2015-November 2023)

refugees (country of origin)

41,594 (Syria), 33,549 (Afghanistan), 14,228 (Iraq), 6,366 (West Bank and Gaza) (mid-year 2022); 25,050 (Ukraine) (as of 30 June 2023)

stateless persons

4,488 (2022)

Space agency/agencies

Hellenic Space Center (HSC; aka Hellenic Space Agency; established 2018) (2023)

Space program overview

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; 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 (2023)

note

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 Appendix S

Terrorist group(s)

Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); Revolutionary Struggle; Revolutionary People's Liberation Party/Front (DHKP/C)

note

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 Appendix-T

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

62.43 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

9.8 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

14.62 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Climate

temperate; mild, wet winters; hot, dry summers

Environment - current issues

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

Environment - international agreements

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

Land use

agricultural land

63.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 19.7% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 8.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 34.8% (2018 est.)

forest

30.5% (2018 est.)

other

6.1% (2018 est.)

Revenue from coal

0.04% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0.01% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

68.4 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

8.11 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

330 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

1.69 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

0.11% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

80.7% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

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.)