Introduction
Background
Greece achieved independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1830 and became a kingdom. In 1974, it became a parliamentary republic and abolished the monarchy. In 1981, Greece joined the EU.
Geography
Area
total : 131,957 sq km
land: 130,647 sq km
water: 1,310 sq km
Climate
temperate; mild, wet winters; hot, dry summers
Natural resources
lignite, petroleum, iron ore, bauxite, lead, zinc, nickel, magnesite, marble, salt, hydropower potential
People and Society
Population
total: 10,461,091
Ethnic groups
Greek 91.6%, Albanian 4.4%, other 4% (2011 est.)
Languages
Greek (official) 99%, other (includes English and French) 1%
Religions
Greek Orthodox 81-90%, Muslim 2%, other 3%, none 4-15%, unspecified 1% (2015 est.)
Population growth rate
-0.35% (2024 est.)
Government
Government type
parliamentary republic
Capital
name: Athens
Executive branch
chief of state: President Ekaterini SAKELLAROPOULOU (since 13 March 2020)
head of government: Prime Minister Kyriakos MITSOTAKIS (since 26 June 2023)
Legislative branch
summary: unicameral Hellenic Parliament (300 seats)
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Ekaterini NASSIKA (since 27 February 2024)
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador George James TSUNIS (since 10 May 2022)
Economy
Economic overview
developed EU and eurozone economy; strong post-COVID growth driven by tourism, shipping industry, exports, and foreign investment supported by EU cohesion funds; public debt remains high despite recent budget surplus; challenges from negative household savings, high unemployment, corruption, and competitiveness gaps
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$375.78 billion (2023 est.)
$368.37 billion (2022 est.)
$348.977 billion (2021 est.)
Real GDP per capita
$36,300 (2023 est.)
$35,300 (2022 est.)
$33,000 (2021 est.)
Exports
$106.65 billion (2023 est.)
$106.189 billion (2022 est.)
$87.521 billion (2021 est.)
Exports - partners
Italy 10%, Bulgaria 7%, Germany 6%, Cyprus 5%, Turkey 5% (2022)
Exports - commodities
refined petroleum, packaged medicine, aluminum, natural gas, plastic products (2022)
Imports
$117.922 billion (2023 est.)
$127.82 billion (2022 est.)
$103.532 billion (2021 est.)
Imports - partners
China 12%, Germany 9%, Russia 9%, Italy 7%, Iraq 7% (2022)
Imports - commodities
crude petroleum, natural gas, refined petroleum, garments, packaged medicine (2022)
Page last updated: Thursday, September 05, 2024
