Greek population may shrink by 1.4M by 2035: Report

By Magda Panoutsopoulou

ATHENS

Greek population may shrink by between 450,000 and 1.4 million by the end of 2035, a recently released report said.

According to a report published by the Hellenic Association of Geriatrics and Gerontology earlier this month, Greece’s population will come down to between 9.5-10.4 million in 2035, compared to 10.9 million in 2015.

Variables such as low birth rates and negative migration balance will inexorably lead to a reduced population in the next three decades, with one in three people aged over 65 by 2050, the report said.

The association also mentioned that the Greek fertility rate -- children per couple -- is at 1.26 compared to 1.49 in the European Union.

Experts say the fertility rate must be at least 2.1 for a population to remain stable, according to the report.