Greece to become oldest country in Europe by 2030

Greece is well on its way to becoming the oldest country in Europe in 2030, taking the lead from Italy, according to the European statistical office, Eurostat.

With half of Greeks already over 50 years old, European Commission estimates say the population of the country will decrease by almost a million by 2050 and by 2 million by 2070.

Recent Eurostat data and demographic projections in the EU show that over the last four decades in Greece, student and pupil numbers have been decreasing while the economically active population is shrinking.

At a conference Tuesday held in cooperation with HOPEgenesis and the support of the Office of the European Parliament and the European Commission Delegation to Greece, Labor Minister Kostis Hatzidakis stressed that the demographic issue is a major problem for Greece, which may pose risks to the pension and health systems, as well as the economy and national security.