📜 A long story
Greece, 1800 → today
Greece grew from 2.25 million in 1800 to 10.2 million; a newborn can expect 45.3 more years of life than in 1877, and output per person is 16× its 1833 level, adjusted for inflation.
Told with long-run reconstructions, not the yearly series used elsewhere on the site: each chapter names its source. Scroll to move through the years.
☺ Chapter 1 · Population
How many people live there?
1800
In 1800, about 2.25 million people lived in Greece.
1900
4.99 million people.
2.2× the 1800 level
Reached twice the 1800 level in 1890.
1950
7.65 million people.
1.5× the 1900 level
2023
10.2 million people, the latest year in this series.
1.3× the 1950 level
Long-run series: before 1950, reconstructions by HYDE and Gapminder, filled in between benchmark years by those sources. Log scale: equal steps up mean equal growth rates.
✚ Chapter 2 · Life expectancy
How long do people live?
1877
In 1877, a newborn in Greece could expect to live 36.6 years, on average.
1902
40.4 years.
+3.8 years since 1877
Passed 40 years in 1902 (no data between 1897 and 1902, so it may have happened earlier).
1950
66.2 years.
+26 years since 1902
Passed 50 years in 1929.
Passed 60 years in 1950 (no data between 1940 and 1950, so it may have happened earlier).
2023
81.9 years, the latest year in this series.
+16 years since 1950
Passed 70 years in 1960.
Passed 80 years in 2008.
Long-run series: before 1950, historical estimates (Riley, Clio Infra, Human Mortality Database), only for years they cover. Dashed stretches are years without data.
◎ Chapter 3 · GDP per person (PPP)
How much is produced per person?
1833
In 1833, Greece produced about Int$1,540 per person, in 2011 prices.
1900
Int$1,970.
1.3× the 1833 level
1950
Int$3,050.
1.5× the 1900 level
Reached twice the 1833 level in 1911.
The sharpest fall in the data: down 66% between 1937 and 1945 (Int$4,410 → Int$1,500).
2022
Int$25,300, the latest year in this series.
8.3× the 1950 level
Reached 5 times the 1833 level in 1967.
Reached 10 times the 1833 level in 1988.
Long-run series (Maddison Project) in 2011 international dollars: adjusted for inflation, so not the same unit as today’s PPP figure. Log scale: equal steps up mean equal growth rates.
❦ Chapter 4 · CO₂ per person
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
1867
In 1867, fossil fuels and industry in Greece emitted about 0.047 t of CO₂ per person.
1900
0.1 t.
1.8× the 1867 level
1950
0.5 t.
6.4× the 1900 level
Reached twice the 1867 level in 1908.
Reached 5 times the 1867 level in 1913.
Reached 10 times the 1867 level in 1936.
The sharpest fall in the data: down 99% between 1913 and 1914 (0.2 t → 0.002 t).
2024
5.3 t, the latest year in this series.
9.9× the 1950 level
Reached 20 times the 1867 level in 1959.
Reached 50 times the 1867 level in 1968.
Long-run series: fossil CO₂ emitted within each country’s borders (Global Carbon Budget); early estimates are less certain. Log scale: equal steps up mean equal growth rates. Dashed stretches are years without data.
☕ Chapter 5 · Years of schooling
How long do people go to school?
1870
In 1870, people aged 15–64 in Greece had spent 0.8 years in school, on average.
1900
1.6 years.
+0.86 years since 1870
1950
4.4 years.
+2.8 years since 1900
Passed 2 years in 1910.
Passed 4 years in 1945.
2015
11.6 years, the latest year in this series.
+7.2 years since 1950
Passed 6 years in 1960.
Passed 8 years in 1985.
Passed 10 years in 2005.
Long-run series (Lee & Lee, Barro & Lee) for people aged 15–64, every 5 years until 2015: a different age group than today’s figure (25 and older).