The population decline in our country has already affected kindergartens and primary schools according to the Eurostat which publicized the 2017 report for Education in Greece.
The low birth rate is one of the consequences of the financial crisis. The Greek Statistical Institute in line with Eurostat reports that in 2012 there were 100,371 births in Greece while the number dropped to 92,898 in 2016 (-7,5%).
The Greek Statistical Institute in line with Eurostat reports that in 2012 there were 100,371 births in Greece while the number dropped to 92,898 in 2016 (-7,5%).
In the 2008/2009 school year 341,315 children were enrolled in Junior High School and 241,726 in Senior High School. In the 2014/2015 school year respectively the number dropped to 312,494 in Junior High School (-8,4%) and to 238,134 in Senior High School (-1,05%).
The European Commission predicts that if no measures are taken within the next 10 years the number of 5-year-old children will be reduced by 27%. The 15-19 age group, within the next 20 years, will be reduced by 23%.
According to international standards to keep a population steady a birth rate of 2.1 is needed. In Greece the current birth rate is 1.3 -a demographic disaster. Without significant improvement, our country is trending toward some of the lowest birthrates in the world, which will accelerate stress on pension and welfare systems and crimp growth. Lower birthrates will mean weaker growth and productivity, and more fiscal problems.
As couples grapple with a longer-than-expected stretch of low growth, high unemployment, precarious jobs and financial strain, they decide to have just one child -or none. Approximately a fifth of women born in the 1970s are likely to remain childless.
