Greece Travel Podcast with Nikos Pappas

Location

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

Terrain

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

Climate

Temperate; mild, wet winters; hot, dry summers

Elevation

Highest point

Mount Olympus 2,917

Lowest point

Mediterranean Sea 0 m

Mean elevation

498 m

Area

Total

131,957 sq km

Land

130,647 sq km

Water

1,310 sq km

Size comparison

Slightly smaller than Alabama

Coastline

13,676 km

Land borders

Total

1,110 km

Border countries

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

Natural resources

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

Land use

Agricultural land

41.7% (2023 est.)

Arable land

14.4% (2023 est.)

Permanent crops

8% (2023 est.)

Permanent pasture

19.2% (2023 est.)

Forest

36.9% (2023 est.)

Other

21.3% (2023 est.)

Natural hazards

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; Methana and Nisyros in the Aegean are also classified as historically active

Note

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

Population

Total

10,424,536 (2025 est.)

Male

5,105,879

Female

5,318,657

Nationality

Noun

Greek(s)

Adjective

Greek

Ethnic groups

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

Religions

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

Median age

Total

46.8 years (2025 est.)

Male

44.6 years

Female

48.3 years

Life expectancy

Total population

81.9 years (2024 est.)

Male

79.4 years

Female

84.6 years

Urbanisation

Urban population

80.7% of total population (2023)

Rate of urbanization

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

Where people live

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

Largest cities

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

Background

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.

Government

Parliamentary republic

Capital

Athens

Time zone

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

Local name

Elliniki Dimokratia

Independence

3 February 1830 (from the Ottoman Empire)

National day

Independence Day, 25 March (1821)

Overview

High-income EU and eurozone economy; growth above euro average, supported by private consumption and EU fund investments; structural reforms strengthening public finances and enhancing resilience within banking system; declining unemployment but low labor productivity and skill shortages

GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2024

$37,800 (2024 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$36,900 (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$35,900 (2022 est.)

Inflation

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2024

2.7% (2024 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

3.5% (2023 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

9.6% (2022 est.)

Unemployment

Unemployment rate 2024

10.2% (2024 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

11.1% (2023 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

12.5% (2022 est.)

Exchange rate

Currency

Euros (EUR) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2024

0.924 (2024 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

0.925 (2023 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

0.95 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

0.845 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

0.876 (2020 est.)

Main industries

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

Agriculture

Maize, wheat, sheep milk, oranges, tomatoes, milk, peaches/nectarines, grapes, watermelons, barley (2023)

Airports

82 (2025)

Railways

Total 2,345 km (2020) 731 km electrified

Ports

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

Internet domain

.gr

Internet users

Percent of population 85% (2023 est.)

Mobile subscriptions

Total subscriptions

11.4 million (2024 est.)

Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

114 (2024 est.)

Environmental issues

Air pollution; air emissions from transport and electricity power stations; water pollution; degradation of coastal zones; loss of biodiversity; municipal and industrial waste disposal

Fresh water

68 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

UNESCO Global Geoparks

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)