Demographic crisis in Greece. Schools are empty from year to year

Ok 5 percent Schools in Greece will be closed in the 2025/2026 school year due to the deepening demographic crisis – according to the data of the Ministry of Education in Athens. Greece has one of the lowest fertility rates in the European Union.

This trend applies to both rural areas, islands and large cities, e.g. Athens. The number of students in this school year will amount to 1.21 million, which is a decrease of 150,000. compared to the 2018/2019 school year.

The most affected by temporary closures is education for the youngest. The number of primary schools and kindergartens, which will not open, increased from 247 and 312 in the 2018/2019 school year to 324 and 358 this year.

According to Greek regulations, the school suspends its activities if it has less than 15 students, and if this condition persists for three years, the facility is permanently closed.

According to representatives of the Ministry of Education, cited by the Greek Reporter portal, these closures are a real “Armageddon”, which shows the demographic problem of the country for years.

Greece has one of the lowest fertility rate in the EU (1.26 child per woman of childbearing age) and overtakes only Malta (1.06), Spain (1.12) and Poland (1.2) in this respect.

The demographic situation was further deteriorated by the mass trip of young Greeks from the country after the financial crisis in 2008. It is estimated that since then over 500,000 emigrated from their homeland. people, i.e. a significant percentage of about 10 million population. (PAP)

MWS/ AKL/