You’ve seen the grim headlines announcing Greece’s burgeoning demographic crisis: one of Europe’s lowest fertility rates combined with the nation’s youth fleeing the country for greater economic prospects elsewhere spells the need for serious reform, and fast. Greece’s population dipped below 10 million for the first time since 1984 this past January. It’s not an exaggeration to say the country’s long-term future hangs in the balance if these trends continue.
The World Health Organization’s latest projections estimate a further 14% population decrease by 2050, down to approximately 8.8 million. Equally concerning are the recent economic forecasts showing Greece’s workforce will halve in size by 2100.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has attempted to address the crisis in myriad ways, spending around €1 billion annually on pro-child measures. Some of these policies include tax breaks for new parents, monthly child allowances, and a one-time payment of €2,000 for each child born, a program that has been in effect since 2020.
So far it hasn’t brought new life to Greece’s many ghost towns and abandoned villages. Plus, other European countries – like Italy and Hungary – have tried to facilitate population growth using similar methods, with little success.
There might be another way. From all I’ve seen as a Greek-American who is very much connected to his heritage, the spirit of Greece lives on in its industrious, successful, and proud Diaspora. There are anywhere between 5-7 million Hellenes living outside of the Greek state, and we maintain a strong affinity for the nation of our ancestors. In short, we are well-educated, well-resourced, well-capitaled, and we love Greece. We also tend to have more children than local Greeks, averaging 3.08 kids for each Greek-American household.
If young Greek-Americans, Greek-Canadians, and Greek-Australians can leverage the value of their Western educations into finding remote work, those returning to Greece from the Diaspora will reap the benefits of a comparatively lower cost of living while also stimulating the local economy, all without taking existing opportunities away from local Greeks. As of 2024, the finance and insurance industry has a 63.7% remote or hybrid work share, and the tech sector (62.25%) isn’t far behind.
Speaking for myself and many other young Greek-Americans I’ve discussed the matter with, we are finding life in America to be far different from what our parents and grandparents originally left Greece for. The growing polarization and secularization of American society has, in many ways, hollowed out life for the younger generations, and the idea of raising our own families someday in “the old country” is growing in appeal. It’s the same reason why converts to the Orthodox Church have increased steadily since the COVID-19 pandemic and the global genealogy industry is valued at more than $5 billion — people are starving for deeper roots, and they’re reclaiming it through their faith and heritage.
This is more than a childish yearning to throw an evil eye on the doorknob, drink frappe every morning, and call ourselves true Greeks. There is something meaningful here that ought not to be ignored — something with boundless potential — and it’s a potential that Greece needs to harness if it is to avoid population collapse.
“We need a shock. We need something that creates, you know, a sense of security and sense of optimism,” said Sofia Zacharaki, Greek Minister of Social Cohesion and Family Affairs, in September 2024.
You want a shock? Make it easier for Diaspora Greeks to obtain their Greek citizenship. You might be surprised by how many of us would eagerly take the necessary steps towards doing so if the process became more streamlined. As it stands right now, thousands of Greek-Americans are being bottled up by long wait times at Greek consulates and embassies across America, which are understaffed and notoriously difficult to work with. I’ve spoken to many Greek-Americans who have waited as long as three or four years to become a citizen.
It’s been done to great effect by other nations – El Salvador recently introduced several new financial incentives to attract their Diaspora to return to the country. For example, El Salvador no longer imposes import tariffs on personal goods transported back to the country from abroad. This means that if someone wanted to bring their car, clothes, or valuables back to their home country, they would only need to pay for the transportation costs.
Greece needs to lower the barriers for young people who wish to return but find it unrealistic and difficult through the current system. As Greece’s economy steadily improves, Greek Diasporans can help in developing emerging sectors of the economy, diversifying Greece’s economic portfolio and limiting our reliance on tourism.
Let’s not also forget that as the Greek population dwindles, the government is simultaneously extending Visas to temporary foreign workers and refugees. This will fundamentally change the demographic and cultural composition of the country, accelerating the dispossession of Greeks in Greece.
Ignoring this problem will not make it go away. Greeks have endured 400 years of Ottoman rule, changed the tides of World War II in the Allies’ favor and rebounded admirably from the 2009 financial crisis. Greece can survive this, too, but we need to reach beyond our global limits and rally around the cause of Hellenism to return stronger than ever before.
This article first appeared in The National Herald.