Greek (‘Demotic’ vernacular – as opposed to standard literary form)
Gross domestic product (GDP) (in dollars, 2014)
235.6 bn
Currency
Euro
Human development index (HDI), an index based on life expectancy, education and GDP (max. 1)
0.865
World rank in HDI
29
Key economic sectors
Services (82); industry (14); agriculture (4) (2012)
Leading Companies
National Bank of Greece (US$4·2bn.); Alpha Bank (US$3·7bn.); and Bank of Piraeus (US$2·3bn.)
Unemployment (2015)
24.5%
Main religious denominations
Greek Orthodox (88.3%); Muslim (5.4%); religiously unaffiliated (6.2%) (2010)
Political system
A presidential parliamentary democracy The Chamber of Deputies, elected for four-year terms, elects the President for a term of five years
Electoral system
Proportional representation for the Chamber, with a 3% threshold
Current (May 2017) leaders
President: Prokopis Pavlopoulos (b. 1950), since March 2015 Prime Minister: Alexis Tsipras (b. 1974), since January 2015
Previous leaders:
Presidents: Karolos Papoulias (2005-2015); Kostis Stephanopoulos (1995-2005) Prime Ministers: Antonis Samaras (2012-2015) Lucas Papademos (2011-2012)
Joined the EU/EC
1981
Commissioner from country in Barroso II College of Commissioners, and portfolio
Maria Damanaki (Maritime Affairs and Fisheries)
Number of MEPs
21
Turnout in 2014 EP elections (%)
58.2% (52.6% in 2009)
Member of eurozone
Yes
Except where a specific reference is inserted, the sources for this profile are either Neill Nugent’s book itself, or Barry Turner (ed.), The Statesman’s Yearbook Online, Basingstoke and New York: Palgrave Macmillan. If your library subscribes, you can gain access at http://www.statesmansyearbook.com
