{
"Introduction": {
"Background": {
"text": "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."
}
},
"Geography": {
"Location": {
"text": "Southern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, between Albania and Turkey"
},
"Geographic coordinates": {
"text": "39 00 N, 22 00 E"
},
"Map references": {
"text": "Europe"
},
"Area": {
"total ": {
"text": "131,957 sq km"
},
"land": {
"text": "130,647 sq km"
},
"water": {
"text": "1,310 sq km"
}
},
"Area - comparative": {
"text": "slightly smaller than Alabama"
},
"Land boundaries": {
"total": {
"text": "1,110 km"
},
"border countries": {
"text": "Albania 212 km; Bulgaria 472 km; North Macedonia 234 km; Turkey 192 km"
}
},
"Coastline": {
"text": "13,676 km"
},
"Maritime claims": {
"territorial sea": {
"text": "6 nm"
},
"continental shelf": {
"text": "200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation"
}
},
"Climate": {
"text": "temperate; mild, wet winters; hot, dry summers"
},
"Terrain": {
"text": "mountainous with ranges extending into the sea as peninsulas or chains of islands"
},
"Elevation": {
"highest point": {
"text": "Mount Olympus 2,917"
},
"lowest point": {
"text": "Mediterranean Sea 0 m"
},
"mean elevation": {
"text": "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"
},
"Natural resources": {
"text": "lignite, petroleum, iron ore, bauxite, lead, zinc, nickel, magnesite, marble, salt, hydropower potential"
},
"Land use": {
"agricultural land": {
"text": "44.3% (2022 est.)"
},
"agricultural land: arable land": {
"text": "arable land: 14.1% (2022 est.)"
},
"agricultural land: permanent crops": {
"text": "permanent crops: 8% (2022 est.)"
},
"agricultural land: permanent pasture": {
"text": "permanent pasture: 22.3% (2022 est.)"
},
"forest": {
"text": "30.3% (2022 est.)"
},
"other": {
"text": "25.4% (2022 est.)"
}
},
"Irrigated land": {
"text": "12,191 sq km (2021)"
},
"Population distribution": {
"text": "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"
},
"Natural hazards": {
"text": "
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
" }, "Geography - note": { "text": "strategic location dominating the Aegean Sea and southern approach to Turkish Straits; a peninsular country, possessing an archipelago of about 2,000 islands" } }, "People and Society": { "Population": { "total": { "text": "10,461,091 (2024 est.)" }, "male": { "text": "5,117,862" }, "female": { "text": "5,343,229" } }, "Nationality": { "noun": { "text": "Greek(s)" }, "adjective": { "text": "Greek" } }, "Ethnic groups": { "text": "Greek 91.6%, Albanian 4.4%, other 4% (2011 est.)", "note": "note: data represent citizenship; Greece does not collect data on ethnicity" }, "Languages": { "Languages": { "text": "Greek (official) 99%, other (includes English and French) 1%" }, "major-language sample(s)": { "text": "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
" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity)": { "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023": { "text": "$384.023 billion (2023 est.)" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022": { "text": "$375.271 billion (2022 est.)" }, "Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021": { "text": "$354.888 billion (2021 est.)" }, "note": "note: data in 2021 dollars" }, "Real GDP growth rate": { "Real GDP growth rate 2023": { "text": "2.33% (2023 est.)" }, "Real GDP growth rate 2022": { "text": "5.74% (2022 est.)" }, "Real GDP growth rate 2021": { "text": "8.38% (2021 est.)" }, "note": "note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency" }, "Real GDP per capita": { "Real GDP per capita 2023": { "text": "$36,900 (2023 est.)" }, "Real GDP per capita 2022": { "text": "$36,000 (2022 est.)" }, "Real GDP per capita 2021": { "text": "$33,600 (2021 est.)" }, "note": "note: data in 2021 dollars" }, "GDP (official exchange rate)": { "text": "$243.498 billion (2023 est.)", "note": "note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices)": { "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023": { "text": "3.46% (2023 est.)" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022": { "text": "9.65% (2022 est.)" }, "Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021": { "text": "1.22% (2021 est.)" }, "note": "note: annual % change based on consumer prices" }, "Credit ratings": { "Fitch rating": { "text": "BB (2020)" }, "Moody's rating": { "text": "Ba3 (2020)" }, "Standard & Poors rating": { "text": "BB- (2019)" }, "note": "note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained." }, "GDP - composition, by sector of origin": { "agriculture": { "text": "3.3% (2023 est.)" }, "industry": { "text": "15.3% (2023 est.)" }, "services": { "text": "68.6% (2023 est.)" }, "note": "note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data" }, "GDP - composition, by end use": { "household consumption": { "text": "66.9% (2023 est.)" }, "government consumption": { "text": "19.3% (2023 est.)" }, "investment in fixed capital": { "text": "15.2% (2023 est.)" }, "investment in inventories": { "text": "1.6% (2023 est.)" }, "exports of goods and services": { "text": "43.7% (2023 est.)" }, "imports of goods and services": { "text": "-48.4% (2023 est.)" }, "note": "note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection" }, "Agricultural products": { "text": "maize, wheat, sheep milk, oranges, tomatoes, milk, peaches/nectarines, grapes, watermelons, barley (2023)", "note": "note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage" }, "Industries": { "text": "tourism, food and tobacco processing, textiles, chemicals, metal products; mining, petroleum" }, "Industrial production growth rate": { "text": "4.74% (2023 est.)", "note": "note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency" }, "Labor force": { "text": "4.666 million (2023 est.)", "note": "note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work" }, "Unemployment rate": { "Unemployment rate 2023": { "text": "11% (2023 est.)" }, "Unemployment rate 2022": { "text": "12.43% (2022 est.)" }, "Unemployment rate 2021": { "text": "14.66% (2021 est.)" }, "note": "note: % of labor force seeking employment" }, "Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)": { "total": { "text": "26.6% (2023 est.)" }, "male": { "text": "24.3% (2023 est.)" }, "female": { "text": "29.5% (2023 est.)" }, "note": "note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment" }, "Population below poverty line": { "text": "18.8% (2021 est.)", "note": "note: % of population with income below national poverty line" }, "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income": { "Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2021": { "text": "32.9 (2021 est.)" }, "note": "note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality" }, "Average household expenditures": { "on food": { "text": "16.4% of household expenditures (2023 est.)" }, "on alcohol and tobacco": { "text": "4.4% of household expenditures (2023 est.)" } }, "Household income or consumption by percentage share": { "lowest 10%": { "text": "2.6% (2021 est.)" }, "highest 10%": { "text": "24.8% (2021 est.)" }, "note": "note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population" }, "Remittances": { "Remittances 2023": { "text": "0.22% of GDP (2023 est.)" }, "Remittances 2022": { "text": "0.27% of GDP (2022 est.)" }, "Remittances 2021": { "text": "0.32% of GDP (2021 est.)" }, "note": "note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities" }, "Budget": { "revenues": { "text": "$105.353 billion (2022 est.)" }, "expenditures": { "text": "$110.844 billion (2022 est.)" }, "note": "note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenses converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated" }, "Public debt": { "Public debt 2022": { "text": "202.08% of GDP (2022 est.)" }, "note": "note: central government debt as a % of GDP" }, "Taxes and other revenues": { "text": "27.64% (of GDP) (2022 est.)", "note": "note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP" }, "Current account balance": { "Current account balance 2023": { "text": "-$15.008 billion (2023 est.)" }, "Current account balance 2022": { "text": "-$22.623 billion (2022 est.)" }, "Current account balance 2021": { "text": "-$13.858 billion (2021 est.)" }, "note": "note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars" }, "Exports": { "Exports 2023": { "text": "$107.218 billion (2023 est.)" }, "Exports 2022": { "text": "$106.189 billion (2022 est.)" }, "Exports 2021": { "text": "$87.521 billion (2021 est.)" }, "note": "note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars" }, "Exports - partners": { "text": "Italy 12%, Germany 6%, Cyprus 6%, Bulgaria 4%, USA 4% (2023)", "note": "note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports" }, "Exports - commodities": { "text": "refined petroleum, packaged medicine, aluminum, olive oil, tobacco (2023)", "note": "note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars" }, "Imports": { "Imports 2023": { "text": "$119.234 billion (2023 est.)" }, "Imports 2022": { "text": "$127.82 billion (2022 est.)" }, "Imports 2021": { "text": "$103.532 billion (2021 est.)" }, "note": "note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars" }, "Imports - partners": { "text": "Germany 10%, China 10%, Italy 8%, Iraq 7%, Netherlands 6% (2023)", "note": "note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports" }, "Imports - commodities": { "text": "crude petroleum, refined petroleum, natural gas, cars, packaged medicine (2023)", "note": "note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars" }, "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold": { "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023": { "text": "$13.608 billion (2023 est.)" }, "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022": { "text": "$12.061 billion (2022 est.)" }, "Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021": { "text": "$14.447 billion (2021 est.)" }, "note": "note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars" }, "Exchange rates": { "Currency": { "text": "euros (EUR) per US dollar -" }, "Exchange rates 2023": { "text": "0.925 (2023 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2022": { "text": "0.95 (2022 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2021": { "text": "0.845 (2021 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2020": { "text": "0.876 (2020 est.)" }, "Exchange rates 2019": { "text": "0.893 (2019 est.)" } } }, "Energy": { "Electricity access": { "electrification - total population": { "text": "100% (2022 est.)" } }, "Electricity": { "installed generating capacity": { "text": "24.169 million kW (2023 est.)" }, "consumption": { "text": "46.929 billion kWh (2023 est.)" }, "exports": { "text": "3.24 billion kWh (2023 est.)" }, "imports": { "text": "8.152 billion kWh (2023 est.)" }, "transmission/distribution losses": { "text": "5.346 billion kWh (2023 est.)" } }, "Electricity generation sources": { "fossil fuels": { "text": "48.9% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)" }, "solar": { "text": "17.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)" }, "wind": { "text": "23.3% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)" }, "hydroelectricity": { "text": "9.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)" }, "biomass and waste": { "text": "0.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)" } }, "Coal": { "production": { "text": "10.469 million metric tons (2023 est.)" }, "consumption": { "text": "10.091 million metric tons (2023 est.)" }, "exports": { "text": "5 metric tons (2023 est.)" }, "imports": { "text": "49,000 metric tons (2023 est.)" }, "proven reserves": { "text": "2.876 billion metric tons (2023 est.)" } }, "Petroleum": { "total petroleum production": { "text": "5,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)" }, "refined petroleum consumption": { "text": "308,000 bbl/day (2024 est.)" }, "crude oil estimated reserves": { "text": "10 million barrels (2021 est.)" } }, "Natural gas": { "production": { "text": "1.323 million cubic meters (2023 est.)" }, "consumption": { "text": "3.344 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)" }, "exports": { "text": "8.362 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)" }, "imports": { "text": "11.619 billion cubic meters (2023 est.)" }, "proven reserves": { "text": "991.09 million cubic meters (2021 est.)" } }, "Carbon dioxide emissions": { "total emissions": { "text": "62.06 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)" }, "from coal and metallurgical coke": { "text": "10.794 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)" }, "from petroleum and other liquids": { "text": "44.649 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)" }, "from consumed natural gas": { "text": "6.617 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2023 est.)" } }, "Energy consumption per capita": { "Total energy consumption per capita 2023": { "text": "92.693 million Btu/person (2023 est.)" } } }, "Communications": { "Telephones - fixed lines": { "total subscriptions": { "text": "4.962 million (2023 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "48 (2023 est.)" } }, "Telephones - mobile cellular": { "total subscriptions": { "text": "11.3 million (2023 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "109 (2022 est.)" } }, "Telecommunication systems": { "general assessment": { "text": "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": { "text": "47 per 100 subscribers for fixed-line and 110 per 100 for mobile-cellular (2021)" }, "international": { "text": "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": { "text": "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": { "text": ".gr" }, "Internet users": { "percent of population": { "text": "85% (2023 est.)" } }, "Broadband - fixed subscriptions": { "total": { "text": "4.48 million (2023 est.)" }, "subscriptions per 100 inhabitants": { "text": "44 (2023 est.)" } } }, "Transportation": { "National air transport system": { "number of registered air carriers": { "text": "11 (2020)" }, "inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers": { "text": "97" }, "annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers": { "text": "15,125,933 (2018)" }, "annual freight traffic on registered air carriers": { "text": "21.91 million (2018) mt-km" } }, "Civil aircraft registration country code prefix": { "text": "SX" }, "Airports": { "text": "82 (2025)" }, "Heliports": { "text": "59 (2025)" }, "Pipelines": { "text": "1,466 km gas, 94 km oil (2013)" }, "Railways": { "total": { "text": "2,345 km (2020) 731 km electrified" } }, "Roadways": { "total": { "text": "117,000 km (2018)" } }, "Waterways": { "text": "6 km (2012) (the 6-km-long Corinth Canal crosses the Isthmus of Corinth; it shortens a sea voyage by 325 km)" }, "Merchant marine": { "total": { "text": "1,215 (2023)" }, "by type": { "text": "bulk carrier 132, container ship 4, general cargo 79, oil tanker 299, other 701" } }, "Ports": { "total ports": { "text": "57 (2024)" }, "large": { "text": "1" }, "medium": { "text": "7" }, "small": { "text": "7" }, "very small": { "text": "42" }, "ports with oil terminals": { "text": "13" }, "key ports": { "text": "Alexandroupoli, Iraklion, Kerkira, Ormos Aliveriou, Piraievs, Soudha, Thessaloniki, Volos" } } }, "Military and Security": { "Military and security forces": { "text": "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": "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