Demographic crisis puts Greek education at risk
Greece’s education system is facing mounting pressure as the country grapples with a deepening demographic crisis, according to local reports.
The sharp decline in births—from more than 118,000 in 2008 to just 62,500 in 2024—combined with the emigration of young Greeks and fewer migrants choosing to settle in the country, has accelerated the crisis, the newspaper Kathimerini highlighted.
Falling enrollment has already forced the closure of thousands of classrooms and schools nationwide, affecting both primary and secondary education.
Christos Bouras, rector of the University of Patras, sounded the alarm over the situation, warning of a potential “collapse of the academic map due to the demographic problem.”
University admissions reflect the trend: freshman enrollment has dropped from nearly 115,000 in 2010 to about 71,000 this year.
“The cumulative loss of young students has reached 330,000,” Bouras noted, underscoring the long-term impact on higher education and the country’s future workforce.
