Greece has a population of around 10.4 million, with about a third concentrated in greater Athens. The Greek diaspora is enormous — millions more Greeks live abroad, particularly in Australia, the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom, and their ties to home remain strong.
Greeks are famously hospitable. The concept of philoxenia — literally "love of strangers" — runs deep in Greek culture. Visitors are regularly invited to share food, offered directions with great enthusiasm (even when the directions are approximate), and treated to unsolicited coffee or ouzo in small villages. Do not be surprised if a stranger engages you in a long conversation about politics, football, or your own life story.
The Greek Orthodox Church remains central to daily life, especially outside the cities. Religious feast days punctuate the calendar, and most Greeks — even those who are not particularly devout — observe Easter as the most important holiday of the year. The midnight Easter service, with its candlelit processions and the cry of Christos Anesti ("Christ is risen"), is one of the most moving experiences you can have in Greece.
Family is the fundamental unit of Greek society. Extended families stay close, businesses are often family-run, and dinner on Sunday remains a serious institution. Older people are respected and cared for; nursing homes are rare by Northern European standards.
The economic crisis of 2010–2018 left a lasting mark. Many young, educated Greeks emigrated during those years — a phenomenon the Greeks call the "brain drain." The country has largely stabilised since, but wages remain lower than the EU average and youth unemployment, while improved, is still high by Western European standards.
Greek is one of the oldest living languages in the world, with a continuous written tradition stretching back over 3,000 years. Modern Greek is quite different from ancient Greek, but the connection is real — a modern Greek speaker can recognise roots in Homer that no other language can claim. In tourist areas, English is widely spoken, and French and German are also common. In more remote areas, a few words of Greek will earn you genuine warmth.