Factbook dossier
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.
Location
Southern Europe, bordering the Aegean Sea, Ionian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, between Albania and Turkey
Area
total : 131,957 sq km land: 130,647 sq km water: 1,310 sq km
Natural resources
lignite, petroleum, iron ore, bauxite, lead, zinc, nickel, magnesite, marble, salt, hydropower potential
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
Population
total: 10,424,536 (2025 est.) male: 5,105,879 female: 5,318,657
Ethnic groups
Greek 91.6%, Albanian 4.4%, other 4% (2011 est.) note: data represent citizenship; Greece does not collect data on ethnicity
Languages
Greek (official) 99%, other (includes English and French) 1% major-language sample(s): ό ί έ , ί ή ώ ώ . (Greek) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.
Religions
Greek Orthodox 81-90%, Muslim 2%, other 3%, none 4-15%, unspecified 1% (2015 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
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: the origin of the name is uncertain; according to tradition, the city is named after Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, but the name is probably pre-Hellenic
Executive branch
chief of state: President Konstantinos TASOULAS (since 13 March 2025) head of government: Prime Minister Kyriakos MITSOTAKIS (since 26 June 2023) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister election/appointment process: president elected by Hellenic Parliament for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); president appoints as prime minister the leader of the majority party or coalition in the Hellenic Parliament most recent election date: 12 February 2025 election results: 2025: Konstantinos TASOULAS (ND) elected president by Parliament - 160 of 300 votes 2020: Katerina SAKELLAROPOULOU (independent) elected president by Parliament - 261 of 300 votes expected date of next election: 2030
Legislative branch
legislature name: Hellenic Parliament (Vouli Ton Ellinon) legislative structure: unicameral number of seats: 300 (all directly elected) electoral system: proportional representation scope of elections: full renewal term in office: 4 years most recent election date: 6/25/2023 parties elected and seats per party: New Democracy (ND) (158); Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) (47); Panhellenic Socialist Movement - Movement for Change (PASOK-KINAL) (32); Communist Party (KKE) (21); Other (42) percentage of women in chamber: 22.9% expected date of next election: June 2027 note: only parties surpassing a 3% vote 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
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$392.205 billion (2024 est.) $383.493 billion (2023 est.) $374.753 billion (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Real GDP per capita
$37,800 (2024 est.) $36,900 (2023 est.) $35,900 (2022 est.) note: data in 2021 dollars
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2.7% (2024 est.) 3.5% (2023 est.) 9.6% (2022 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices
Exports - partners
Italy 12%, Germany 6%, Cyprus 6%, Bulgaria 4%, USA 4% (2023) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports
Imports - partners
Germany 10%, China 10%, Italy 8%, Iraq 7%, Netherlands 6% (2023) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
Military and security forces
Hellenic Armed Forces (HAF; Ellinikes Enoples Dynamis, EED): Hellenic Army (Ellinikos Stratos, ES; includes National Guard), Hellenic Navy (Elliniko Polemiko Navtiko, EPN), Hellenic Air Force (Elliniki Polemiki Aeroporia, EPA; includes air defense) (2025) 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 note 2: the National Guard was established in 1982 as an official part of the Army to help protect Greece and provide reinforcements and support to the Army in peacetime and in times of mobilization and war
Military expenditures
2.9% of GDP (2025 est.) 2.7% of GDP (2024 est.) 2.8% of GDP (2023 est.) 3.9% of GDP (2022 est.) 3.7% of GDP (2021 est.)