Greece
@Greece (Europe)
Introduction ::Greece
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 (EMU) in 2001. Greece has suffered a severe economic crisis since late 2009, due to nearly a decade of chronic overspending and structural rigidities. Beginning in 2010, Greece entered three bailout agreements - with the European Commission, the European Central Bank (ECB), the IMF, and the third in 2015 with the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) - worth in total about $300 billion. The Greek Government formally exited the third bailout in August 2018.
Geography ::Greece
Location:
Southern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and the
Mediterranean Sea, between Albania and Turkey
Geographic coordinates:
39 00 N, 22 00 E
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 131,957 sq km country comparison to the world: 96 land: 130,647 sq km
water: 1,310 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Alabama
Land boundaries:
total: 1,228 km
border countries: Albania 282 km, Bulgaria 494 km, Turkey 206 km, Macedonia 246 km
Coastline:
13,676 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:
temperate; mild, wet winters; hot, dry summers
Terrain:
mostly mountains with ranges extending into the sea as peninsulas or chains of islands
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Olympus 2,917 m
Natural resources:
lignite, petroleum, iron ore, bauxite, lead, zinc, nickel, magnesite, marble, salt, hydropower potential
Land use:
arable land: 20.45%
permanent crops: 8.59%
other: 70.96% (2005)
Irrigated land:
14,530 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
72 cu km (2005)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 8.7 cu km/yr (16%/3%/81%)
per capita: 782 cu m/yr (1997)
Natural hazards:
severe earthquakes
volcanism: Santorini (elev. 367 m, 1,204 ft) 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
Environment - current issues:
air pollution; water pollution
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air
Pollution-Sulfur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol,
Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification,
Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes,
Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds
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
People ::Greece
Population:
10,569,703 (July 2021 est.) country comparison to the world: 88
Age structure:
0-14 years: 14.53% (male 794,918/female 745,909)
15-24 years: 10.34% (male 577,134/female 519,819)
25-54 years: 39.6% (male 2,080,443/female 2,119,995)
55-64 years: 13.1% (male 656,404/female 732,936)
65 years and over: 22.43% (male 1,057,317/female 1,322,176) (2020 est.)
Introduction
Geography
People and Society
Government
Economy
Energy
Communications
Transportation
Military and Security
Terrorism
Transnational Issues
Introduction
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 (EMU) in 2001. Greece has suffered a severe economic crisis since late 2009, due to nearly a decade of chronic overspending and structural rigidities. Beginning in 2010, Greece entered three bailout agreements - with the European Commission, the European Central Bank (ECB), the IMF, and the third in 2015 with the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) - worth in total about $300 billion. The Greek Government formally exited the third bailout in August 2018.
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Definitions and Notes
Geography
Location
Southern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, between Albania and Turkey
Geographic coordinates
39 00 N, 22 00 E
Map references
Europe
Area
total: 131,957 sq km
land: 130,647 sq km
water: 1,310 sq km
country comparison to the world: 97
Area - comparative
slightly smaller than Alabama
Area comparison mapArea comparison map
Area comparison map
Land boundaries
total: 1,110 km
border countries (4): Albania 212 km, Bulgaria 472 km, Macedonia 234 km, Turkey 192 km
Coastline
13,676 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 6 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate
temperate; mild, wet winters; hot, dry summers
Terrain
mountainous with ranges extending into the sea as peninsulas or chains of islands
Elevation
mean elevation: 498 m
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Olympus 2,917
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
lignite, petroleum, iron ore, bauxite, lead, zinc, nickel, magnesite, marble, salt, hydropower potential
Land use
agricultural land: 63.4% (2018 est.)
arable land: 19.7% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 8.9% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 34.8% (2018 est.)
forest: 30.5% (2018 est.)
other: 6.1% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land
15,550 sq km (2012)
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
Natural hazards
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-Sulfur 94, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds
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
People and Society
Population
10,569,703 (July 2021 est.)
country comparison to the world: 88
Nationality
noun: Greek(s)
adjective: Greek
Ethnic groups
Greek 91.6%, Albanian 4.4%, other 4% (2011)
Languages
Greek (official) 99%, other (includes English and French) 1%
Religions
Greek Orthodox (official) 81-90%, Muslim 2%, other 3%, none 4-15%, unspecified 1% (2015 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years: 14.53% (male 794,918/female 745,909)
15-24 years: 10.34% (male 577,134/female 519,819)
25-54 years: 39.6% (male 2,080,443/female 2,119,995)
55-64 years: 13.1% (male 656,404/female 732,936)
65 years and over: 22.43% (male 1,057,317/female 1,322,176) (2020 est.)
population pyramidpopulation pyramid
population pyramid
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 56.1
youth dependency ratio: 21.3
elderly dependency ratio: 34.8
potential support ratio: 2.9 (2020 est.)
Median age
total: 45.3 years
male: 43.7 years
female: 46.8 years (2020 est.)
country comparison to the world: 9
Population growth rate
-0.34% (2021 est.)
country comparison to the world: 218
Birth rate
7.72 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)
country comparison to the world: 222
Death rate
12.05 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)
country comparison to the world: 14
Net migration rate
0.97 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)
country comparison to the world: 61
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
Urbanization
urban population: 79.7% of total population (2020)
rate of urbanization: 0.22% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)
total population growth rate v. urban population growth rate, 2000-2030
Major urban areas - population
3.153 million ATHENS (capital), 812,000 Thessaloniki (2020)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.11 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.98 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.8 male(s)/female
total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth
29.9 years (2017 est.)
Maternal mortality rate
3 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 178
Infant mortality rate
total: 3.61 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 4 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)
country comparison to the world: 196
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 81.28 years
male: 78.73 years
female: 84 years (2021 est.)
country comparison to the world: 40
Total fertility rate
1.39 children born/woman (2021 est.)
country comparison to the world: 216
Drinking water source
improved: urban: 100% of population
rural: 100% of population
total: 100% of population
unimproved: urban: 0% of population
rural: 0% of population
total: 0% of population (2017 est.)
Current Health Expenditure
7.7% (2018)
Physicians density
5.48 physicians/1,000 population (2017)
Hospital bed density
4.2 beds/1,000 population (2017)
Sanitation facility access
improved: urban: 100% of population
rural: 100% of population
total: 100% of population
unimproved: urban: 0% of population
rural: 0% of population
total: 0% of population (2017 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
0.2% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 97
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
14,000 (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 93
HIV/AIDS - deaths
<100 (2017 est.)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate
24.9% (2016)
country comparison to the world: 54
Education expenditures
NA
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97.7%
male: 98.5%
female: 96.9% (2015)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
total: 20 years
male: 20 years
female: 20 years (2018)
Unemployment, youth ages 15-24
total: 39.9%
male: 36.4%
female: 43.9% (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 11
Government
Country name
conventional long form: Hellenic Republic
conventional short form: Greece
local long form: Elliniki Dimokratia
local short form: Ellas or Ellada
former: Hellenic State, Kingdom of 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"
Government type
parliamentary republic
Capital
name: Athens
geographic coordinates: 37 59 N, 23 44 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
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
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)
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
National holiday
Independence Day, 25 March (1821)
Constitution
history: many previous; latest entered into force 11 June 1975
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
Legal system
civil legal system based on Roman law
International law organization participation
accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
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
Suffrage
17 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch
chief of state: President Ekaterini SAKELLAROPOULOU (since 13 March 2020)
head of government: Prime Minister Kyriakos MITSOTAKIS (since 8 July 2019)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister
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
election results: Katerina SAKELLAROPOULOU (independent) elected president by Parliament - 261 of 300 votes; note - SAKELLAROPOULOU is Greece's first woman president
Legislative branch
description: unicameral Hellenic Parliament or Vouli ton Ellinon (300 seats; 280 members in multi-seat constituencies and 12 members in a single nationwide constituency directly elected by open party-list proportional representation vote; 8 members in single-seat constituencies elected by simple majority 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
elections: last held on 7 July 2019 (next to be held by July 2023)
election results: percent of vote by party - ND 39.9%, SYRIZA 31.5%, KINAL 8.1%, KKE 5.3%, Greek Solution 3.7%, MeRA25 3.4%, other 8.1%; seats by party - ND 158, SYRIZA 86, KINAL 22, KKE 15, Greek Solution 10, MeRA25 9; composition - men 244, women 56, percent of women 18.7%
Judicial branch
highest courts: 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)
Political parties and leaders
Anticapitalist Left Cooperation for the Overthrow or ANTARSYA [collective leadership]
Coalition of the Radical Left or SYRIZA [Alexios (Alexis) TSIPRAS]
Communist Party of Greece or KKE [Dimitrios KOUTSOUMBAS]
Democratic Left or DIMAR [Athanasios (Thanasis) THEOCHAROPOULOS]
European Realistic Disobedience Front or MeRA25 [Yanis VAROUFAKIS]
Greek Solution [Kyriakos VELOPOULOS]
Independent Greeks or ANEL [Panagiotis (Panos) KAMMENOS]
Movement for Change or KINAL [Foteini (Fofi) GENIMMATA]
New Democracy or ND [Kyriakos MITSOTAKIS]
People's Association-Golden Dawn [Nikolaos MICHALOLIAKOS]
Popular Unity or LAE [Panagiotis LAFAZANIS]
The River (To Potami) [Stavros THEODORAKIS]
Union of Centrists or EK [Vasileios (Vasilis) LEVENTIS]
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, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Theocharis LALAKOS (since 27 June 2016)
chancery: 2217 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 939-1300
FAX: [1] (202) 939-1324
consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Tampa (FL), San Francisco
consulate(s): Atlanta, Houston
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Geoffrey R. PYATT (since 24 October 2016)
telephone: [30] (210) 721-2951
embassy: 91 Vasillisis Sophias Avenue, 10160 Athens
mailing address: PSC 108, APO AE 09842-0108
FAX: [30] (210) 645-6282
consulate(s) general: Thessaloniki
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
National symbol(s)
Greek cross (white cross on blue field, arms equal length); national colors: blue, white
National anthem
name: "Ymnos eis tin Eleftherian" (Hymn to Liberty)
lyrics/music: Dionysios SOLOMOS/Nikolaos MANTZAROS
Economy
Economic overview
Real GDP growth rate
1.87% (2019 est.)
1.91% (2018 est.)
1.44% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 145
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
0.2% (2019 est.)
0.6% (2018 est.)
1.1% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 28
Credit ratings
Fitch rating: BB (2020)
Moody's rating: Ba3 (2020)
Standard & Poors rating: BB- (2019)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$319.334 billion (2019 est.)
$313.469 billion (2018 est.)
$307.521 billion (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 55
GDP (official exchange rate)
$209.79 billion (2019 est.)
Real GDP per capita
$29,799 (2019 est.)
$29,206 (2018 est.)
$28,594 (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 69
Gross national saving
10.9% of GDP (2017 est.)
9.5% of GDP (2016 est.)
9.6% of GDP (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 159
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
agriculture: 4.1% (2017 est.)
industry: 16.9% (2017 est.)
services: 79.1% (2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use
household consumption: 69.6% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 20.1% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 12.5% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: -1% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 33.4% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -34.7% (2017 est.)
Ease of Doing Business Index scores
68.4 (2020)
Agricultural products
maize, olives, wheat, milk, peaches/nectarines, oranges, tomatoes, grapes, milk, potatoes
Industries
tourism, food and tobacco processing, textiles, chemicals, metal products; mining, petroleum
Industrial production growth rate
3.5% (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 85
Labor force
4 million (2020 est.)
country comparison to the world: 90
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture: 12.6%
industry: 15%
services: 72.4% (30 October 2015 est.)
Unemployment rate
17.3% (2019 est.)
19.34% (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 183
Population below poverty line
36% (2014 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income
34.4 (2017 est.)
35.7 (2011)
country comparison to the world: 114
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 1.7%
highest 10%: 26.7% (2015 est.)
Budget
revenues: 97.99 billion (2017 est.)
expenditures: 96.35 billion (2017 est.)
Taxes and other revenues
48.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 17
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)
0.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 36
Public debt
181.8% of GDP (2017 est.)
183.5% of GDP (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 2
Fiscal year
calendar year
Current account balance
-$3.114 billion (2019 est.)
-$6.245 billion (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 175
Exports
$92.925 billion (2019 est.)
$88.511 billion (2018 est.)
$81.196 billion (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 48
Exports - partners
Italy 10.6%, Germany 7.1%, Turkey 6.8%, Cyprus 6.5%, Bulgaria 4.9%, Lebanon 4.3% (2017)
Exports - commodities
food and beverages, manufactured goods, petroleum products, chemicals, textiles
Imports
$94.597 billion (2019 est.)
$91.798 billion (2018 est.)
$85.092 billion (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 48
Imports - partners
Germany 10.4%, Italy 8.2%, Russia 6.8%, Iraq 6.3%, South Korea 6.1%, China 5.4%, Netherlands 5.3%, France 4.3% (2017)
Imports - commodities
machinery, transport equipment, fuels, chemicals
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$7.807 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$6.026 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 80
Debt - external
$506.6 billion (31 March 2016 est.)
$468.2 billion (31 March 2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 23
Exchange rates
euros (EUR) per US dollar -
0.82771 (2020 est.)
0.90338 (2019 est.)
0.87789 (2018 est.)
0.885 (2014 est.)
0.7634 (2013 est.)
Energy
Electricity access
electrification - total population: 100% (2020)
Electricity - production
52.05 billion kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 53
Electricity - consumption
56.89 billion kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 45
Electricity - exports
1.037 billion kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 58
Electricity - imports
9.833 billion kWh (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 27
Electricity - installed generating capacity
19.17 million kW (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 46
Electricity - from fossil fuels
57% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world: 136
Electricity - from nuclear fuels
0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 98
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants
14% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 105
Electricity - from other renewable sources
29% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 19
Crude oil - production
4,100 bbl/day (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 80
Crude oil - exports
3,229 bbl/day (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 67
Crude oil - imports
484,300 bbl/day (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 20
Crude oil - proved reserves
10 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 90
Refined petroleum products - production
655,400 bbl/day (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 28
Refined petroleum products - consumption
304,100 bbl/day (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 43
Refined petroleum products - exports
371,900 bbl/day (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 22
Refined petroleum products - imports
192,200 bbl/day (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 35
Natural gas - production
8 million cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 93
Natural gas - consumption
4.927 billion cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 61
Natural gas - exports
0 cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 112
Natural gas - imports
4.984 billion cu m (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 36
Natural gas - proved reserves
991.1 million cu m (1 January 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 100
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy
69.37 million Mt (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 51
Communications
Telephones - fixed lines
total subscriptions: 5,080,386
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 47.75 (2019 est.)
country comparison to the world: 29
Telephones - mobile cellular
total subscriptions: 12,070,571
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 113.45 (2019 est.)
country comparison to the world: 75
Telecommunication systems
general assessment: good mobile telephone and international services; 3 mobile network operators; broadband penetration developing steadily despite rough economic conditions; plans to repurpose 3G network for LTE and 5G by 2022 (2020)
domestic: microwave radio relay trunk system; extensive open-wire connections; submarine cable to offshore islands; 48 per 100 for fixed-line and 114 per 100 for mobile-cellular (2019)
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)
note: the COVID-19 outbreak is negatively impacting telecommunications production and supply chains globally; consumer spending on telecom devices and services has also slowed due to the pandemic's effect on economies worldwide; overall progress towards improvements in all facets of the telecom industry - mobile, fixed-line, broadband, submarine cable and satellite - has moderated
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
total: 7,783,381
percent of population: 72.95% (July 2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 61
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
total: 3,961,864
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 37 (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 35
Transportation
National air transport system
number of registered air carriers: 11 (2020)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 97
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 15,125,933 (2018)
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 21.91 million mt-km (2018)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix
SX (2016)
Airports
total: 77 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 69
Airports - with paved runways
total: 68 (2017)
over 3,047 m: 6 (2017)
2,438 to 3,047 m: 15 (2017)
1,524 to 2,437 m: 19 (2017)
914 to 1,523 m: 18 (2017)
under 914 m: 10 (2017)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total: 9 (2013)
914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2013)
under 914 m: 7 (2013)
Heliports
9 (2013)
Pipelines
1329 km gas, 94 km oil (2013)
Railways
total: 2,548 km (2014)
standard gauge: 1,565 km 1.435-m gauge (764 km electrified) (2014)
narrow gauge: 961 km 1.000-m gauge (2014)
22 0.750-m gauge
country comparison to the world: 67
Roadways
total: 117,000 km (2018)
country comparison to the world: 42
Waterways
6 km (the 6-km-long Corinth Canal crosses the Isthmus of Corinth; it shortens a sea voyage by 325 km) (2012)
country comparison to the world: 106
Merchant marine
total: 1,294
by type: bulk carrier 165, container ship 6, general cargo 95, oil tanker 379, other 649 (2020)
country comparison to the world: 22
Ports and terminals
major seaport(s): Aspropyrgos, Pachi, Piraeus, Thessaloniki
oil terminal(s): Agioi Theodoroi
container port(s) (TEUs): Piraeus (4,145,079) (2017)
LNG terminal(s) (import): Revithoussa
Military and Security
Military and security forces
Hellenic Armed Forces: Hellenic Army (Ellinikos Stratos, ES; includes National Guard reserves), Hellenic Navy (Elliniko Polemiko Navtiko, EPN), Hellenic Air Force (Elliniki Polemiki Aeroporia, EPA; includes air defense) (2019)
Military expenditures
2.58% of GDP (2020 est.)
2.31% of GDP (2019)
2.48% of GDP (2018)
2.34% of GDP (2017)
2.38% of GDP (2016)
country comparison to the world: 35
Military and security service personnel strengths
the Hellenic Armed Forces have approximately 141,000 active duty personnel (90,000 Army; 16,000 Navy; 25,000 Air Force; 10,000 joint service, support, staff); approximately 35,000 National Guard (2019 est.)
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions
the inventory of the Hellenic Armed Forces consists mostly of a mix of imported weapons from Europe and the US, as well as a limited number of domestically produced systems, particularly naval vessels; Germany is the leading supplier of weapons systems to Greece since 2010, followed by France and the US; Greece's defense industry is capable of producing naval vessels and associated subsystems (2019)
Military deployments
est. 1,000 Cyprus; 110 Kosovo (NATO); 140 Lebanon (UNIFIL) (2020)
Military service age and obligation
19-45 years of age for compulsory military service; during wartime the law allows for recruitment beginning January of the year of inductee's 18th birthday, thus including 17 year olds; 18 years of age for volunteers; conscript service obligation is 1 year for the Army and 9 months for the Air Force and Navy; women are eligible for voluntary military service (2014)
Terrorism
Terrorist group(s)
Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS); Revolutionary Struggle (2019)
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
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
Refugees and internally displaced persons
refugees (country of origin): 26,696 (Syria), 17,685 (Afghanistan), 9,614 (Afghanistan) (2019)
stateless persons: 4,734 (2019)
Illicit drugs
a gateway to Europe for traffickers smuggling cannabis 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
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