When signs of worldwide economic crisis appeared in 2007, Greece was affected as much as any country globally.1 During the final quarter of next year, Greece entered the most serious socioeconomic downturn in the country’s modern history. The unprecedented economic crisis has brought with it a humanitarian crisis in health.1,2 Already in 2013, there were reports showing that births and deaths were beginning to be negatively affected due to the crisis.3,4,5,6
In this short report, we present the last 14-year trends (2001 to 2014) of births and deaths in Greece (Table). Over the six years of the crisis (2009 – 2014), the crude birth rate substantially decreased between 2009 and 2014; from 10.45 per 1,000 population in 2009 to 8.57 in 2014 (Table). The 93,429 livebirths in 2014 is the lowest number recorded in Greece since 1955 (the first year for which reliable data are available). During the same period (2009 – 2014), the crude mortality rate in Greece increased, from 9.60 per 1,000 population in 2009 to 10.46 in 2014 (Table). In 2012 and 2014, there were 116,670 and deaths 114,088 respectively, the highest numbers since 1948. The result of these two opposing trends was an excess of 59,285 more deaths than births over the last four years (2010 – 2014) (for comparison, Rhodes island according to the 2011 Census has a population of around 50,000 inhabitants).
The substantial decrease in births and increase in deaths that intensified during the socioeconomic crisis, combined with the fact that the total fertility rate in Greece in 2012 was 1.34 point out to how serious the Greek demographic problem is. Now more than ever, policy makers must recognize and prioritize these issues in order to design and implement policies necessary to protect against the humanitarian crisis that is taking place in Greece, and amongst others contributes to the worsening of the demographic problem of the country.
References
1. Michas G, Micha R, Mozaffarian D. Re: Greek economic crisis: not a tragedy for health. http://www.bmj.com/content/345/bmj.e7988/rr/694119
2. Kondilis E, Giannakopoulos S, Gavana M, Ierodiakonou I, Waitzkin H, Benos A. Economic crisis, restrictive policies, and the population's health and health care: the Greek case. Am J Public Health 2013;103:973-9
3. Michas G, Papadopoulos S, Micha R. Austerity in Greece not only kills but also curtails births and marriages. BMJ 2013;347:f6639.
4. Michas G. Marriages, Births, and Deaths in Greece during 2003 to 2012. A country on the verge of collapse? BMJ 2013; http://www.bmj.com/content/347/bmj.f6639/rr/672422
5. Vlachadis N, Vrachnis N, Ktenas E, Vlachadi M, Kornarou E. Mortality and the economic crisis in Greece. Lancet 2014;383:691
6. Vrachnis N, Vlachadis N, Iliodromiti Z, Vlachadi M, Creatsas G. Greece's birth rates and the economic crisis. Lancet 2014;383:692
Competing interests:
No competing interests
11 June 2015
George Michas
Cardiology Fellow
Asimakos Andreas, Locum Consultant Intensive Care Medicine
Rapid Response:
Births and Deaths in Greece; the balance is lost
When signs of worldwide economic crisis appeared in 2007, Greece was affected as much as any country globally.1 During the final quarter of next year, Greece entered the most serious socioeconomic downturn in the country’s modern history. The unprecedented economic crisis has brought with it a humanitarian crisis in health.1,2 Already in 2013, there were reports showing that births and deaths were beginning to be negatively affected due to the crisis.3,4,5,6
In this short report, we present the last 14-year trends (2001 to 2014) of births and deaths in Greece (Table). Over the six years of the crisis (2009 – 2014), the crude birth rate substantially decreased between 2009 and 2014; from 10.45 per 1,000 population in 2009 to 8.57 in 2014 (Table). The 93,429 livebirths in 2014 is the lowest number recorded in Greece since 1955 (the first year for which reliable data are available). During the same period (2009 – 2014), the crude mortality rate in Greece increased, from 9.60 per 1,000 population in 2009 to 10.46 in 2014 (Table). In 2012 and 2014, there were 116,670 and deaths 114,088 respectively, the highest numbers since 1948. The result of these two opposing trends was an excess of 59,285 more deaths than births over the last four years (2010 – 2014) (for comparison, Rhodes island according to the 2011 Census has a population of around 50,000 inhabitants).
The substantial decrease in births and increase in deaths that intensified during the socioeconomic crisis, combined with the fact that the total fertility rate in Greece in 2012 was 1.34 point out to how serious the Greek demographic problem is. Now more than ever, policy makers must recognize and prioritize these issues in order to design and implement policies necessary to protect against the humanitarian crisis that is taking place in Greece, and amongst others contributes to the worsening of the demographic problem of the country.
References
1. Michas G, Micha R, Mozaffarian D. Re: Greek economic crisis: not a tragedy for health. http://www.bmj.com/content/345/bmj.e7988/rr/694119
2. Kondilis E, Giannakopoulos S, Gavana M, Ierodiakonou I, Waitzkin H, Benos A. Economic crisis, restrictive policies, and the population's health and health care: the Greek case. Am J Public Health 2013;103:973-9
3. Michas G, Papadopoulos S, Micha R. Austerity in Greece not only kills but also curtails births and marriages. BMJ 2013;347:f6639.
4. Michas G. Marriages, Births, and Deaths in Greece during 2003 to 2012. A country on the verge of collapse? BMJ 2013; http://www.bmj.com/content/347/bmj.f6639/rr/672422
5. Vlachadis N, Vrachnis N, Ktenas E, Vlachadi M, Kornarou E. Mortality and the economic crisis in Greece. Lancet 2014;383:691
6. Vrachnis N, Vlachadis N, Iliodromiti Z, Vlachadi M, Creatsas G. Greece's birth rates and the economic crisis. Lancet 2014;383:692
Competing interests: No competing interests