In the first half of 2026, Greece recorded 31,390 live births – just four more than in the same period in 2025. Formally, this is no longer a decrease, but statistically the change is practically zero and does not change the overall demographic picture of the country.
New preliminary data published Greek Statistical Service ELSTAT.
In January–June 2025, births were born in the country 31,386 childrenand a year later – 31 390. Of these, 16,135 are boys and 15,255 are girls.
Briefly about the main thing
- 31 390 live births for the first half of 2026;
- growth compared to last year – total 4 children;
- this is actually zero change;
- in 2025, the number of births per full year decreased by 4.2%;
- It is clearly too early to talk about a reversal of the demographic trend.
After many years of decline, +4 is not yet a reversal
The Athens News has already written that in 2025 the number of births in Greece decreased by 4.2% – up to 65,594 children.
Therefore, the current four additional births against the backdrop of tens of thousands of births rather indicate temporary stabilization at a very low levelthan about the beginning of demographic recovery.
According to ELSTAT, in the first half of the year the largest increase in the number of births was observed in January and April, while a decrease was again recorded in February and May.
Why families delay having children
Fertility statistics alone do not show the reasons why families choose to have fewer children or delay having children. But the economic background is well known.
Housing remains one of the heaviest expenses. In our directory “Cost of Living in Greece in 2026” we showed that renting a small apartment can absorb more than half of the average net salary.
At the same time, a significant portion of households are faced with the fact that their monthly income is not enough until the end of the month. We discussed this problem in detail in the material “Saving on food, treatment and vacation: how 60% of Greek families live”.
Do family benefits help?
The state supports families through benefits, tax measures and various programs, but the actual amounts of assistance often remain very modest compared to the costs of children.
The A21 benefit is €70, €42 or €28 per month for the first and second child – depending on the income category of the family.
Even at the maximum rate, a family with two children receives €140 per month. In the second income category – €84, and in the third – €56.
At current prices, this is only a small part of the costs of food, clothing, medicine, transport, school needs and the daily life of the child.
As children age, expenses, as a rule, only increase: more products are required, clothes and shoes become more expensive, and costs for education, transportation, clubs and additional activities appear.
We recently looked at a situation where a family with two children with an income just above €30,000 completely loses the right to benefit A21.
You can read more about the benefit itself, its size and rules of assignment in our material “A21 – child benefit in Greece: who is entitled and how much they pay”.
Can migration change the situation?
Sometimes the decline in the birth rate is associated with the hope that the lack of young families will gradually be compensated by migration.
However, the latest complete ELSTAT data does not yet confirm this.
In 2025, out of 65,594 children 58,957 were born to mothers with Greek citizenship and 6,637 to foreign mothers. Thus, foreign mothers accounted for about 10% of all births.
Moreover, their share has not increased in recent years, but decreased: in 2020 it was about 14.8%.
This means that migration does not yet compensate for the overall demographic decline and does not change the fundamental problem – the very low number of births within the country itself.
The fracture is not yet visible
Four additional births in six months do not yet give reason to even talk about the beginning of a sustainable recovery in the birth rate.
Moreover, if you look at the dynamics of recent years: the number of births decreased from more than 85 thousand in 2021 to 65.6 thousand in 2025.
Greece simultaneously faces three interrelated problems: low fertility, aging population and postponing family formation until later in life.
That is why even stabilizing the number of births at the current level does not mean solving the demographic problem.
Editorial comment.
When the state talks about fighting the demographic crisis, a simple question arises: How much can existing assistance really change a young family’s decision to have children?
The A21 benefit of €28–70 per month per child can hardly be considered a serious economic incentive at today’s prices. Even the maximum €140 for two children covers only a small part of a family’s expenses.
The problem is not so much the lack of individual benefits, but the fact that the scale of this assistance is not comparable to the real cost of raising a child.
A young family must understand that they will be able to afford housing, food, medical care, education and normal daily life not for a few months after the birth of the child, but for the next 18–20 years.
Against this background, symbolic benefits are unlikely to change the decisions of people who are postponing starting a family precisely because of economic uncertainty.
At the same time, the hope that migrant families will automatically compensate for the demographic decline is also not yet confirmed by statistics: about 90% of children in Greece in 2025 were born to mothers with Greek citizenship.
If the state really wants to achieve a demographic turnaround, we must talk about long-term policies: affordable housing for young families, serious tax breaks, sufficient benefits, kindergartens, medical care and confidence in the future.
While a significant portion of young people do not have such confidence, it is difficult to expect a sustainable increase in the birth rate.
Data for 2026 are still preliminary and will be updated by ELSTAT as new information becomes available. But the main thing is already obvious: four additional births in six months is not a demographic turnaround, but only a pause in a multi-year decline.
More Stories
Inflation in Greece soars to 5.1%: energy crisis is just beginning
Two children and just over €30,000 a year – no more A21 benefit: where Greece draws the line of “wealth”
Why do euro coins differ in thickness, weight and edges?