Historical dataset of population level and growth rate for the Thessaloniki, Greece metro area from 1950 to 2025.

Abstract

The closure of the so-called "Balkan route" and the EU-Turkey Statement in March 2016 changed Greece from a transit country to a country hosting a growing population of refugees and asylum seekers. To address the needs of this growing population staying on the Greek mainland, the Greek Government established Open Reception Facilities (ORFs) in Northern and Central Greece. In the beginning of 2016, UNHCR through its partners established urban accommodation schemes to host asylum seekers eligible for relocation as part of the European solidarity measures. The program evolved to focus on the most vulnerable asylum seekers for whom accommodation in the ORFs was unsuitable. The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) set up a similar accommodation program in late 2016 also focusing on the most vulnerable. Arrivals at the Greek-Turkish land border increased in late 2017 and as a result a higher number of people started arriving directly to Thessaloniki, without having presented themselves to the authorities at the border. Hence, they were not registered by the Greek authorities and as a consequence lacked access to a dignified shelter, or other forms of basic assistance available to asylum seekers and refugees. The Municipality of Thessaloniki and the humanitarian community jointly decided to conduct a profiling exercise of the refugees and asylum seekers hosted in Thessaloniki as well as Third Country Nationals not registered with the Asylum Service in Thessaloniki. The objective was to explore the extent to which refugees and asylum seekers were moving towards local integration. This was done by looking at their outlook for the future as well as the obstacles and possibilities towards greater economic and socio-cultural integration in Greece. The analysis of persons with no asylum service documentation focused on the key challenges faced by those groups, such as lack of a regularized status and homelessness. The collected data would form a baseline for future integration monitoring and would additionally be a useful tool for the implementation of integration activities as foreseen in national and local strategies for integration. The survey included a total of 861 households. The survey found out that the great majority of refugees and asylum seekers in the accommodation scheme and in the ORF had been in Thessaloniki less than one year. The majority of the households in the accommodation scheme (60%) reported that they intended to stay in Thessaloniki in the long term, and one of the main conditions for being able to integrate locally is finding employment. Amongst the households in the ORF, less than half intended to stay in Thessaloniki (45%) and more than a third (38%) intended to move to another EU country. For those intending to stay, being able to integrate locally was very much linked to finding a different accommodation solution. The households having found their own accommodation were on average living longer in Thessaloniki, as almost half of them had lived in the city for more than one year compared to other groups who have been living in their majority in their accommodation for less than one year. This group of refugees and asylum seekers also included the biggest group reporting that they intended to stay in Thessaloniki longer term (76%). For them the main condition for local integration was access to employment and getting the status of international protection. Accessing employment as a key condition for local integration was also highlighted and confirmed during community consultations with asylum seekers and refugees.

Geographic coverage

Thessaloniki.

Analysis unit

Household and individual

Sampling procedure

In total, the survey of refugees and asylum seekers covered 1,808 individuals comprising 641 households. The sample was stratified by accommodation type into three strata: - Those in the urban accommodation scheme who have been provided with apartments - Those self-accommodated in Thessaloniki, i.e. are either renting an apartment by themselves, or being hosted by friends, relatives or volunteers - Those who were fully registered residents of the Open Reception Facilities (ORF)

The sampling frame for refugees and asylum seekers was UNHCR's ProGres database, while for the ORF, a site population list provided by the camp manager was used as a basis to generate a sample. A simple random sample of households was initially drawn for the accommodation scheme strata and the self-accommodated strata shortly before the data collection was due to begin. During data collection, reaching a majority of the sampled households was challenging due to the listed phone numbers being outdated, as persons of concern often change their pre-paid SIM cards. Unannounced home visits were not an option given time and resource constraints. It was therefore decided to aim for full coverage of both these strata, expecting that a high proportion of the persons in the ProGres database for these strata would not be reachable by phone. To assess potential bias introduced by this approach, the demographic profile of the surveyed persons was compared to that of the whole population of refugees and asylum seekers in the UNHCR ProGres database. The age and sex figures of the population were compared to the survey figures. The sample distributions resemble the population distributions quite closely on the basis of these demographic characteristics. As such, the overall impression is that there is little skew in the survey data for these two strata. It is therefore assumed that the survey results are representative and can be applied to the population as a whole. For the strata of the Open Reception Facility (ORF), the most update site registration list was obtained from the Reception and Identification Service (RIS) that manages the site. The enumerators managed to get in touch with at least one representative of each of the registered households living in the site at the time of the data collection. No one declined the request for an interview. It was not relevant to compare the surveyed population to the UNHCR database list to assess representativity, given that the population in the site had changed significantly since the list for that strata had been assembled by the camp manager in the site. Since a full count of the site population was achieved, the results are considered to be representative for the population.

A different sampling took place for third country nationals not registered with the Asylum Service. The unified registry for persons with police notes (EURODAC II) could not be accessed for the purpose of the profiling study. Although organizations that provide assistance to police note holders hold information about this population group, including UNHCR which provides cash assistance, there is no exhaustive list. Similarly there is no unified registry for undocumented persons. However, through comparing aggregated information from multiple service providers, a population figure of 200 households was estimated as a rough baseline. In the absence of a registry, it was not possible to construct a list from which a random sample could be drawn. Thus, a non-probability sampling strategy was applied, which included convenience sampling approaches. With non-probability approaches it is not possible to establish how well the sample represents the population unless all members of a given target group have been interviewed. Convenience sampling is a type of non-probability sampling method, where the sample is taken from a group of people easy to contact or to reach, e.g. by snowballing techniques where respondents identify other respondents known to them. The enumeration team interviewed 451 persons making up 227 households under the category of third country nationals not registered with the Asylum Service. This number of households interviewed was slightly higher than the number originally foreseen, a possible explanation for this being the aforementioned influx of arrivals to Thessaloniki the same month. The survey results support this theory, as more than half of the survey respondents from this target group had been in Thessaloniki for less than a month at the time of the interview. The high number of recent arrivals made the estimate of the total population more uncertain. In addition, many of the persons who were approached, declined to be interviewed. As a result, it is difficult to assess how representative the interviewees were of the target group.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

The survey questionnaire used to collect the data consists of the following sections: migration history family unity & mobility, housing, basic demographics, education, employment & work stats, household economy, access to health admin social and humanitarian services, social links and interaction, future intentions, social and cultural integration.

Cleaning operations

Data was anonymized through decoding and local suppression.

Greece Population: Economically Inactive: Quarterly: Urban: Greater Thessaloniki data was reported at 404.200 Person th in Mar 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 404.000 Person th for Dec 2017. Greece Population: Economically Inactive: Quarterly: Urban: Greater Thessaloniki data is updated quarterly, averaging 385.595 Person th from Mar 1998 (Median) to Mar 2018, with 81 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 406.200 Person th in Mar 2014 and a record low of 361.200 Person th in Jun 2004. Greece Population: Economically Inactive: Quarterly: Urban: Greater Thessaloniki data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Hellenic Statistical Authority. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Greece – Table GR.G008: Labour Force Survey: Economically Inactive.

According to the 2021 census, 643,450 people lived in the Athens municipality, making it the largest city in Greece. The second-most populated municipality, Thessaloniki, had approximately 319,050 inhabitants.

Greece Population: Economically Inactive: Urban: Thessaloniki Agglomeration data was reported at 376.200 Person th in Dec 2024. This records a decrease from the previous number of 378.500 Person th for Sep 2024. Greece Population: Economically Inactive: Urban: Thessaloniki Agglomeration data is updated quarterly, averaging 372.050 Person th from Mar 2021 (Median) to Dec 2024, with 16 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 424.400 Person th in Mar 2024 and a record low of 353.800 Person th in Sep 2023. Greece Population: Economically Inactive: Urban: Thessaloniki Agglomeration data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Hellenic Statistical Authority. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Greece – Table GR.G008: Labour Force Survey: Economically Inactive: New Methodology.

Around 3.15 million people lived in the Athens metropolitan area, making it the largest metropolitan area in Greece in 2021. The second-most populated metropolitan area, Thessaloniki, had approximately 802,390 inhabitants. At the municipality level, Athens was the largest city in the country with 643,452 residents.

These datasets are used to generate parcel demand and delivery tours in the Thessaloniki LL. The detailed description can be found below.

Network data

Zones: Represent the centroids of different zones within the study area, serving as the fundamental units for modelling and analysis in parcel demand, market, and scheduling modules.

Parcel nodes: Identify the locations of courier company depots within the network, essential for determining starting points for parcel deliveries in demand, market, and scheduling modules.

Duration matrix: A matrix that provides the travel time in seconds between each pair of zones, crucial for determining travel times in demand generation, market analysis, and scheduling.

Distance matrix: Like the duration matrix but provides the distance in metres between each pair of zones, used for the same purposes as the duration matrix.

Supply data

Locker network: Indicates the positions of lockers available in the network, used primarily in the parcel market module to analyse delivery locker network.

Departure times of parcels: Represent the cumulative probability distribution of parcel departure times throughout a day, used in the parcel scheduling module to simulate the timing of parcel dispatches.

Demand data

Sociodemographic characteristics: Provide information on the population characteristics within the study area, which is used to generate parcel demand based on population distribution and behaviours. These include sociodemographic characteristics of the population such as income and household structure such as number of households and people in the study area.

Courier market shares: Show the market share distribution among different courier companies, impacting the demand module by determining how parcels are allocated among various couriers.

The closure of the so-called "Balkan route" and the EU-Turkey Statement in March 2016 changed Greece from a transit country to a country hosting a growing population of refugees and asylum seekers. To address the needs of this growing population staying on the Greek mainland, the Greek Government established Open Reception Facilities (ORFs) in Northern and Central Greece. In the beginning of 2016, UNHCR through its partners established urban accommodation schemes to host asylum seekers eligible for relocation as part of the European solidarity measures. The program evolved to focus on the most vulnerable asylum seekers for whom accommodation in the ORFs was unsuitable. The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) set up a similar accommodation program in late 2016 also focusing on the most vulnerable. Arrivals at the Greek-Turkish land border increased in late 2017 and as a result a higher number of people started arriving directly to Thessaloniki, without having presented themselves to the authorities at the border. Hence, they were not registered by the Greek authorities and as a consequence lacked access to a dignified shelter, or other forms of basic assistance available to asylum seekers and refugees. The Municipality of Thessaloniki and the humanitarian community jointly decided to conduct a profiling exercise of the refugees and asylum seekers hosted in Thessaloniki as well as Third Country Nationals not registered with the Asylum Service in Thessaloniki. The objective was to explore the extent to which refugees and asylum seekers were moving towards local integration. This was done by looking at their outlook for the future as well as the obstacles and possibilities towards greater economic and socio-cultural integration in Greece. The analysis of persons with no asylum service documentation focused on the key challenges faced by those groups, such as lack of a regularized status and homelessness. The collected data would form a baseline for future integration monitoring and would additionally be a useful tool for the implementation of integration activities as foreseen in national and local strategies for integration. The survey included a total of 861 households. The survey found out that the great majority of refugees and asylum seekers in the accommodation scheme and in the ORF had been in Thessaloniki less than one year. The majority of the households in the accommodation scheme (60%) reported that they intended to stay in Thessaloniki in the long term, and one of the main conditions for being able to integrate locally is finding employment. Amongst the households in the ORF, less than half intended to stay in Thessaloniki (45%) and more than a third (38%) intended to move to another EU country. For those intending to stay, being able to integrate locally was very much linked to finding a different accommodation solution. The households having found their own accommodation were on average living longer in Thessaloniki, as almost half of them had lived in the city for more than one year compared to other groups who have been living in their majority in their accommodation for less than one year. This group of refugees and asylum seekers also included the biggest group reporting that they intended to stay in Thessaloniki longer term (76%). For them the main condition for local integration was access to employment and getting the status of international protection. Accessing employment as a key condition for local integration was also highlighted and confirmed during community consultations with asylum seekers and refugees.

Abstract

The Household Budget Survey (HBS) is a national survey collecting information from a representative sample of households, on households’ composition, members’ employment status, living conditions and, mainly, focusing on their members’ expenditure on goods and services as well as on their income. The expenditure information collected from households is very detailed. That is, information is not collected on the basis of total expenditure categories like "food", ‘'clothing - footwear', "health ", etc., but separately for each expenditure, for example, white bread, fresh whole milk, fresh beef etc, footwear for men, footwear for women etc., services of medical analysis laboratories, pharmaceutical products etc.

The main purpose of the HBS is to determine in detail the household expenditure pattern in order to revise the Consumer Price Index. Moreover, the HBS is the most appropriate source in order to: - Complete the available statistical data for the estimation of the total private consumption; - Study the households expenditures and their structure in relation to their income and other economic, social and demographic characteristics; - Analyze the changes in the living conditions of the households in comparison with the previous surveys; - Study the relationship between households purchases and receipts in kind; - Study low income limits in the different socio-economic categories and population groups; - Study the changes in the nutritional habits of the households.

Geographic coverage

National coverage

Analysis unit

• Households,
• Individuals.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Frequency of data collection

The frequency of data collection is continual spread within the reference year.

Sampling procedure

The two - stage area stratified sampling was adopted for the HBS survey based on the rotational integrated design method and on the Population Census of 2011 as well. This method was judged as the most appropriate for both cross -sectional and longitudinal comparisons.

The primary sampling units (PSUs) are the areas (one or more unified city blocks), the secondary sampling units selected in each primary unit are the households and their members. In each Region (NUTS 2), the stratification of primary units was conducted by allocating the Municipalities and Communes according to the degree of urbanization (urban, semi-urban, and rural regions). Except for the two former Major City Agglomerations (Athens and Thessaloniki).

The Greater Athens Area was divided into 31 strata of about equal size (equal number of households) on the basis of the lists of city blocks of the Municipalities that constitute it and taking into consideration socio-economic criteria. Similarly, the Greater Thessaloniki Area was divided into 9 equally sized strata. The two former Major City Agglomerations account for 37% of the total population and for even larger percentages in certain socio-economic variables. The total initial sample size of households was amounted to 6,248 (sampling fraction 01.42‰) and was equally divided within the reference year, so as to have four (4) different equivalent indepented samples which correspond to four quarters of the year.

1st stage of sampling

In this stage, from any stratum (crossing of Region with the degree of urbanisation), primary units were drawn. The number of draws is approximately proportional to the population size of the stratum (number of households in the last population census of the year 2011).

2nd stage of sampling

In this stage from each primary sampling unit (selected area) the sample of secondary units (households) was selected. Actually, in the second stage we drew a systematic sample of dwellings. However, in most cases, one household corresponds to each dwelling. If in the selected dwelling lives more than one household, all of them were interviewed. The sampling frame containing the secondary units (households) in the selected sampling primary units was updated before the selection of households. The total number of the primary sampling units was 1.023. Due to non-response, the actual total number of primary sampling units was 1.004.

The initial simple size was 6,248 households, while the final simple size was 5,888 households.

Sampling deviation

The sampling errors are depicted by estimating the coefficient of variation for the main survey variables and their values are within the acceptance limits. More details in the Quality Report of 2014.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

IntroductionNumerous studies reveal that mental health-related stigma, stereotypes, and prejudices negatively affect the patients, jeopardizing their health, prognosis, and social opportunities. Healthcare professionals, who are in the first line of combating mental disease, are expected to play a significant role in drastically changing discriminatory and stigmatizing attitudes toward psychiatric patients and in diminishing the existing healthcare and social disparities. In this study, we aimed to explore and highlight the views of Greek medical students—that is of the future physicians—toward mental illness and people suffering from it.Materials and methodsIt is a cross-sectional, observational study, in which 324 undergraduate students from the most populous Greek medical school of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, participated online, during the spring semester of 2022. The tools used were the Opinions about Mental Illness Scale (OMI) that assesses one’s viewpoints about mental illness, the Social Distance Scale (SDS) that captures the desired degree of social distancing from patients with mental disorders, and the Level of Contact Report (LCR-12) that estimates the level of familiarity with them.ResultsParticipants displayed rather positive attitudes regarding the etiology of mental illness, social integration, and discrimination toward psychiatric patients [as evaluated with the respective OMI subscales; Etiology mean score (μ):8.87 ± 4.68, Social Integration (μ):17.79 ± 5.42, Social Discrimination (μ):13.54 ± 11.17], and more clearly favorable opinions concerning the need for social provision or the enactment of restrictive measures [as expressed with the relative OMI subscales; Social Care (μ):22.74 ± 4.56, Social Restriction (μ):13.27 ± 8.98], while claiming to be quite familiar with mental disorders and individuals experiencing them (as assessed with LCR; μ: 8.71 ± 2.16), and relatively willing to interact with them (as measured with SDS; μ:8.95 ± 4.23). Degree of familiarity with mental illness was directly proportional to the desire for contact with patients living with it, while the higher both were, the more improved most of the aforementioned OMI sectors were found to be. Female sex, clinical medical education, previous clinical psychiatric training, and living with or being a person with a mental disorder were the factors that defined a statistically refined profile in many of the aspects above.ConclusionOur findings are in accordance with many prior and recent studies, while showing improved opinions compared to those of previous research in Greek student and healthcare population. They are calling for vigilance, rather than complacency, as well as educational and social interventions, in order to enable current and future healthcare professionals to perform their function to its fullest extent. Implications of our results and further research suggestions are included.

The 2009 Hellenic (Greek) National Election Voter Study was conducted with the CSES Module 3 common questionnaire using telephone interviews in the period between 10 December 2009 and 18 December 2009. The telephone interviews have been conducted by OPINION SA and the study was funded by the School of Political Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. The sample was selected to be representative of the Greek population aged 18-89 years old with voting rights, Greek nationality and to cover all regions of Greece (mainland and Greek islands). Appropriate software was used to randomly select the sample from the data base telephone list by area proportional to total population.