Rising emigration and an aging population are just some factors contributing to Greece’s
growing demographic crisis.
By Nikolas Giannopoulos
While headlines often highlight the Greek migrant issue and the need for Greece to
manage the refugee crisis, these topics only scratch the surface of the nation’s broader
demographic challenges.
Rising emigration and an aging population are just some factors contributing to Greece’s
growing demographic crisis. The head of the Ministry of Social Cohesion and Family has
called it the “biggest threat facing Greece,” emphasizing the wide-ranging impacts,
including the risk of cultural gentrification.
Cultural gentrification is the transformation of traditional and cultural values into hybrid
versions, influenced by Western ideals and commercialisation. In the backdrop of a
self-perpetuating demographic crisis, cultural gentrification is accelerating in Greece.
The Demographic Crisis in Greece: The Exodus
The financial crisis of 2015 marked one of the largest “exoduses” the nation had
experienced since the population exchange of the 1920s, with approximately 790,000
people emigrating from Greece between 2010-2018 according to the Institute for
Alternative Policies in July 2024 (ENA).
After the crisis, 283,000 more emigrated from Greece, 65 percent of whom were in the
working-age cohort. As rising emigration rates strained the nation’s economy, society’s
cultural fabric also suffered.
“Their departure not only deprives the Greek economy of valuable human capital but constitutes another proof that the losses suffered by the Greek economy during the period of the crisis had long-lasting consequences,” the ENA census remarked.
As families break apart, the ties of our communities begin to corrode. Cultural practices,
such as the Orthodox Easter, the dormition of the Virgin Mother Mary, and even the
Sunday dinners with the grandparents, gradually diminish over time.
“They come back for Easter once every couple of years,” says Sotiria Vassiou, an
inhabitant of a rural village in Greece whose children migrated to Chicago in 2015.
“And it’s not like they have any sort of recollection about the beauty of our customs either. My grandchildren ask to play an egg hunt and have an easter bunny, and my son and daughter are completely reluctant to educate them even on the basics of our traditions. It is truly devastating.”
Sotiria Vasiou picks up on another phenomenon attributed to the global diaspora, which
sociologist Pierre Bourdieu identifies as the concept of cultural capital. She considers
how a migrant’s cultural capital may be influenced by the host country’s values, as one
aims to be assimilated into the wider society. Subsequently, there is a constant cultural
dilution associated with the growing diaspora, as foreign influences overshadow Greek
customs and traditions.
The erosion of the national identity is also attributed to nostalgia. Greece has a strong
sense of cultural identity, meaning one that has migrated may want to introduce and keep
in touch with their roots. However, this gives a base for another aspect of cultural
gentrification: the commodification of Greek culture based on sentiment.
Astoria and Tarpon Springs would be contemporary examples of this, as they represent a
distorted reality of heritage and Greek culture, where you see “Yayia’s and Pappou’s
coffee shop” and the “Zorba the Greek souvlaki restaurant.”
Satirical representations and parodies in the Simpsons and Family Guy are all but other examples of how the enriched, historical national identity is commercialized and defined through an “opa” and a piece of Moussaka. Are the economic benefits created through entertainment and tourism enough to accept this undeniable dilution of traditions?
While this issue has spawned in Greek communities worldwide, the increasing diaspora
also lays the foundation for another demographic challenge: an aging population.
A Geriatric Population
In the pretext of a financial crisis, a global pandemic, and inflation, Greece is
experiencing a concerning population decline or “demographic crisis” as put by
economist George Vrettas.
Greece’s aging population with 22.3 percent of the Greek population being over 65 years old, as noted by the 2021 national consensus, has caused conspicuous financial issues, and a shift in national culture character.
As the young depart and the elderly remain, the communities aim to “freeze” their culture
in time, craving a romanticized idea of the past. A cultural stasis, rather than organic
growth, gives grounds for external influence to reshape tradition.
Greek sociologists have identified this phenomenon as a case of “temporal gratification”, a circumstance encouraging cultural gentrification as investors seek to achieve immediate utility by manipulating the demographic conditions of an area for personal gain. Once again, traditionalism is replaced by modern ideals and a commercialized version of a culture.
The rural brain drain in the village of Arachova would be a prime example of temporal
gratification. The government census highlighted that between 2001 and 2021 the
population of the rural town dropped by 25 percent, leaving behind the older age demographic group of 70+ to occupy the largest proportion of the total population.
Their efforts to preserve old culture and traditions, disregarding the possibility of sustainable reform, led innovators and wealthy individuals from foreign areas to find opportunities to commercialize the traditional customs of the village for economic gain. The result: a village dubbed as a “Winter Mykonos” rather than being praised for its rich history and culture.
“Ticking Time Bomb…” said PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis
Politicians and policy-makers have taken into account the significance of the matter, both
in the preservation of the wider socio-cultural fabric and in preventing future economic
turmoil.
In 2023 the Greek government established the Ministry of Social Cohesion and
Family, whose primary aim was to solve the demographic crisis.
The “Birth Grant” and the “Voucher Program” both have a financial incentive, aiming to
encourage an increase in the birth rate.
In the matter of emigration the “Rebrain Greece initiative”, also tackles the demographic issue at hand.
We see rural areas such as the island of Aniktykyrhira also aiming to limit the diaspora, incentivizing families to relocate permanently through financial benefits. The future at the moment seems incalculable, with the Ministry of Social Cohesion and Family having stated that the works in progress are a “step in the right direction”.
However, while current initiatives are a step in the right direction, decisive action and
well-considered policies are essential to prevent the further escalation of this
socio-economic crisis. Urgent action is required to ensure the preservation of Greece’s
cultural and demographic future.