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Immigration 2024132,1499th in the EU-27
Net migration 2024+54,135immigration − emigration
First-time asylum claims 202555,3755th in the EU-27 · 8.3% UE
New citizenships 202414,27511th in the EU-27

Greece ranks 9th in the EU-27 for regular immigration: in 2024 it registered 132,149 arrivals and 78,014 departures, for a net balance of +54,135. In 2025 first-time asylum applications came to 55,375, 8.3% of the EU total; citizenship acquisitions in 2024 numbered 14,275.

Regular migration

The series includes all citizenships — EU citizens moving between member states and returning nationals included — and counts those moving their usual residence for at least 12 months. Compared with 2019, immigration is broadly stable.

Immigration Emigration

Regular migration, Greece, by year · Eurostat
YearImmigrationEmigrationNet
2024132,14978,014+54,135
2023116,59186,775+29,816
202295,37491,137+4,237
202157,12092,775−35,655
202084,22195,439−11,218
2019129,459111,603+17,856
2018119,489118,545+944
2017112,247117,123−4,876
2016116,867119,409−2,542
201564,446118,218−53,772
201459,013114,276−55,263
201357,946126,464−68,518
201258,200135,073−76,873
201160,089106,398−46,309
201060,46262,041−1,579
200958,61343,686+14,927
200866,52943,044+23,485

Asylum applications

First-time applications for international protection lodged in Greece in 2025 came to 55,375 (the 5th-highest in the EU). The series peak remains 2019, with 74,910 applications.

First-time asylum applications, Greece, by year · Eurostat
YearFirst-time claims
202555,375
202468,995
202357,900
202229,125
202122,655
202037,865
201974,910
201864,985
201756,945
201649,880
201511,360
20147,590
20137,865
20129,575
20119,315
2010·
2009·
2008·

New citizenships

In 2024 citizenship acquisitions came to 14,275, the 11th-highest in the EU-27. It is a lagging indicator: today's new citizens typically immigrated several years ago. The main previous citizenships of new citizens (2024): Albania (10,709), Ukraine (344), Romania (341), Russia (335), India (211).

Citizenship acquisitions, Greece, by year · Eurostat
YearAcquisitions
202414,275
202313,319
202212,733
202110,120
202013,272
201916,328
201827,857
201734,305
201633,210
201513,933
201420,913
201329,462
201220,302
201117,533
20109,387
200917,019
200816,922

Who leaves

In 2024, 32,141 of the country's own citizens moved abroad (the 10th-highest in the EU). The true number is almost certainly higher: emigration is measured through de-registrations, and people who leave do not always deregister.

How to read these numbers. Regular migration follows the UN definition (residence ≥ 12 months) and also includes EU citizens and returning nationals. “First-time applications” exclude repeat claims in the same country. Emigration, based on de-registrations, is generally undercounted. Definitions in the glossary, sources and limits in the methodology.

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