Until few years ago, Athens and Thessaloniki were the only well-known cities in Greece, but now other provincial cities have been developed such as Patras, Ioannina, Heraklion and Corfu. Athens hosts a third of the country's total population, around three million inhabitants.
80 years ago, more than half of Greeks were living from agriculture, but now the young leave the mountain villages to earn higher incomes which affects a part of the country.
Number of inhabitants: 10,623,835 (July 2001 Est.)
Density: 81 / km ²
Distribution: 61% urban / rural 39%
Annual growth rate: 0.19
Life expectancy: 81 years Women / Men 75 years
Religion: Greek Orthodox 98%, Muslim 1.3%, other 0.7%
Languages: Greek 99% (official language), English, French
Illiteracy rate: less than 1%