Greek census shows population decline - but how accurate is it?

Greece’s population has shrunk by more than 1 percent over the last 10 years, according to the preliminary results from the 2011 Greek census carried out earlier this year, thereby bucking the trend of the last few decades.

Officials from the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) said that the first count of the figures collected indicate that Greece’s population is 10,787,690 (49.2 percent men and 50.8 percent women) compared to 10,934,097 in 2001, when the last census was carried out. This is a decline of 1.34 percent.

ELSTAT officials said they were not yet able to explain the apparent drop in population as the statistics which have been gathered have not been examined in detail yet. (Ekathimerini)


Perhaps we can help. Reports here in Crete on the Living in Crete forum suggest that a number of people and properties were missed by the census takers, and not just those in remote locations, one poster living in a house on the main road in a small town/resort was missed entirely. How many others are there?

Taxi Drivers Strike Update

Taxi drivers/owners in Heraklion have moved away from blocking the airport and ports today, and are demonstrating outside the regional government offices.

In Hania drivers blocked the tax office yesterday and today, but not the airport.

In Sitia, taxi drivers will demonstrate tomorrow by blocking the cashiers office at the famous Vai palm beach, allowing free entrance to tourists..and will be handing out flowers! That seems like a step in the right direction, let's hope they've now come to their senses and realise what real damage they have been doing to Greece's tourism and image abroad.

Taxi drivers block Crete, Corfu ports and airports

Greek taxi drivers blocked ports and airports on the popular tourist islands of Crete and Corfu on Thursday, in a strike to protest against government plans to open up their trade to competition.

Taxi drivers, fighting deregulation in their industry -- one of 135 professions targeted by Greece to meet EU and IMF bailout conditions, disrupted tourists for the fourth day, as EU leaders gathered in Brussels for a summit on the debt crisis.

Tourism makes up 16 percent of Greece's GDP and the government had projected a 10 percent hike in tourism revenues after two years marred by anti-austerity strikes and protests.

In Crete, a top tourist destination, taxis blocked access to ports and both Heraklion and Chania airports, as well as blocking tourist coaches from picking up cruise ship passengers from two cruise ships on a stop-off in Heraklion port. No flights are affected but taxis are not allowing buses and cars into the airport, passengers are being forced to walk from the airport outskirts.

Reuters
Livingincrete
ekathimerini - photo