Reference metadata describe statistical concepts and methodologies used for the collection and generation of data. They provide information on data quality and, since they are strongly content-oriented, assist users in interpreting the data. Reference metadata, unlike structural metadata, can be decoupled from the data.
Data and metadata are transmitted to Eurostat by the Member States in the framework of the Unified Demographic Data Collection which is in accordance with Regulation (EC) 862/2007 and Regulation (EU) 1260/2013 and their implementing regulations.
The regional breakdown of the Member States in the regional demographic tables is done under the most recent NUTS classification. There are agreements between Eurostat and Candidate countries as well as between Eurostat and EFTA countries, for which statistical regions have been coded in a way that resembles NUTS. For more information on the versions in force, please see Eurostat NUTS.
3.3. Coverage - sector
Not applicable.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
3.4.1 Statistical concepts and definitions used in the statistics transmitted to Eurostat
One of the following definitions is used by a country when explaining the statistical concepts:
Usually resident population means all persons having their usual residence in a Member State at the reference time; for more information see the Article 2 of Regulation (EU) 1260/2013.
Legal residence population is composed of those persons who are entitled to be settled in the country at the reference date, either by holding the national citizenship or by other authorization issued by national authorities.
Registered residence population is composed of those persons who are listed on one or more registers owned by national authorities at the reference date. Each registered person shall be counted only once.
See the table 3.4.1 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A.
3.4.2 Statistical concepts and definitions used in the statistics disseminated in the National Statistical Institute's website
See the table 3.4.2 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A.
3.5. Statistical unit
Number of persons.
3.6. Statistical population
See the table 3.6 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A.
3.7. Reference area
Population, live births and deaths data are available at national and regional level of geographical detail.
3.8. Coverage - Time
Vital statistics data are available since 1933, whereas estimated population since 1956 (1981 at NUTS3 level).
Regarding migration, data are available for the time period 2008–2024.
3.9. Base period
Not applicable.
Data is collected at unit (person) level.
The reference date for population data is the end of the reference period (midnight of 31 December). The reference period for vital and dual events data is the calendar year in which the events occurred. The reference period for migration flow data is the calendar year during which the migration occurred.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
Regulation on the Operation and Administration of the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT), 2012 (Government Gazette 2390 B, 28 August 2012);
Regulation on the Statistical Obligations of the agencies of the Hellenic Statistical System (Government Gazette 4083 Β, 20 December 2016);
Greek Commitment on Confidence in Statistics (Government Gazette 40 A, 29 February 2012);
Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics, as amended by Regulation (EU) 2015/759;
European Statistics Code of Practice (CoP) – revised edition 2017;
Regulation (EU) 2016/679 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation - GDPR);
Presidential Decree 73/2019 (Government Gazette No 114, Issue Α,04 July 2019): “Organization of the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT)” (available only in Greek);
Law 4624/2019 (Government Gazette Α΄137 / 29 August 2019) “Hellenic Data Protection Authority, measures implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 for the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and transposition (into national law) Directive (EU) 2016/680 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 and other provisions" (available only in Greek).
Population and migration statistics are also regulated by European legislation as follows:
Regulation (EU) No 1260/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council on European Demographic statistics (L330/39);
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 205/2014 laying down uniformed conditions for the implementation of Regulation (EU) No 1260/2013 of the European Parliament and the Council on European demographic statistics, as regards breakdowns of data, deadlines and data revisions;
Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 (L199/2007) of the European Parliament and of the Council on Community statistics on migration and international protection, in particular Article 3 “Statistics on international migration, usually resident population and acquisition of citizenship”;
Regulation (EU) No 351/2010 of the Commission implementing Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council on Community statistics on migration and international protection as regards the definitions of the categories of the groups of country of birth, groups of country of previous usual residence, groups of country of next usual residence and groups of citizenships.
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
Data are collected by the national statistical authorities in the context of the “Common Annual International Collection of Migration Data”.
This data collection is granted by Eurostat in collaboration with the Statistics Department of the United Nations,
the United Nation’s Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE),
and the International Labor Organization (ILO).
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
The issues concerning the observance of statistical confidentiality by the Hellenic Statistical Authority (ELSTAT) are arranged by articles 7, 8 and 9 of the Law 3832/2010 as in force, by Articles 8, 10 and 11(2) of the Regulation on Statistical Obligations of the agencies of the Hellenic Statistical System and by Articles 10 and 15 of the Regulation on the Operation and Administration of ELSTAT.
More precisely:
ELSTAT disseminates the statistics in compliance with the statistical principles of the European Statistics Code of Practice and in particular with the principle of statistical confidentiality.
Protection of personal data
ELSTAT abides by the commitments and obligations arising from the applicable EU and national legislation on the protection of the individual from the processing of personal data and the relevant decisions, guidelines and regulatory acts of the Hellenic Data Protection Authority.
Pursuant to the Regulation on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data [Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 (General Data Protection Regulation - GDPR)], ELSTAT implements the appropriate technical and organisational measures for ensuring adequate level of security against risks for the personal data it collects and has access to, in the context of carrying out its tasks, in order to meet the requirements of this Regulation and to protect these personal data from any unauthorised access or illegal processing.
The personal data collected by ELSTAT are used exclusively for purposes related to the conduct of surveys and the production of relevant statistics. Only ELSTAT has access to the data. The controller is the person appointed by law pursuant to the relevant provisions concerning the Legal Entities of Public Law and the Independent Authorities. The data are stored in the databases of ELSTAT for as long as required by the relevant legislation.
Legal basis of the processing: Article 6, para 1(c) and 1(d) of the GDPR.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
ELSTAT protects and does not disseminate data it has obtained or it has access to, which enable the direct or indirect identification of the statistical units that have provided them by the disclosure of individual information directly received for statistical purposes or indirectly supplied from administrative or other sources. ELSTAT takes all appropriate preventive measures so as to render impossible the identification of individual statistical units by technical or other means that might reasonably be used by a third party. Statistical data that could potentially enable the identification of the statistical unit are disseminated by ELSTAT if and only if:
these data have been treated, as it is specifically set out in the Regulation on Statistical Obligations of the agencies of the Hellenic Statistical System (ELSS), in such a way that their dissemination does not prejudice statistical confidentiality or
the statistical unit has given its consent, without any reservations, for the disclosure of data.
The confidential data that are transmitted by ELSS agencies to ELSTAT are used exclusively for statistical purposes and the only persons who have the right to have access to these data are the personnel engaged in this task and appointed by an act of the President of ELSTAT.
ELSTAT may grant researchers conducting statistical analyses for scientific purposes access to data that enable the indirect identification of the statistical units concerned. The access is granted provided the following conditions are satisfied:
an appropriate request together with a detailed research proposal in conformity with current scientific standards have been submitted;
the research proposal indicates in sufficient detail the set of data to be accessed, the methods of analyzing them, and the time needed for the research;
a contract specifying the conditions for access, the obligations of the researchers, the measures for respecting the confidentiality of statistical data and the sanctions in case of breach of these obligations has been signed by the individual researcher, by his/her institution, or by the organization commissioning the research, as the case may be, and by ELSTAT.
Issues referring to the observance of statistical confidentiality are examined by the Statistical Confidentiality Committee (SCC) operating in ELSTAT. The responsibilities of this Committee are to make recommendations to the President of ELSTAT on:
the level of detail at which statistical data can be disseminated, so as the identification, either directly or indirectly, of the surveyed statistical unit is not possible;
the anonymization criteria for the microdata provided to users;
the granting to researchers access to confidential data for scientific purposes.
The staff of ELSTAT, under any employment status, as well as the temporary survey workers who are employed for the collection of statistical data in statistical surveys conducted by ELSTAT, who acquire access by any means to confidential data, are bound by the principle of confidentiality and must use these data exclusively for the statistical purposes of ELSTAT. After the termination of their term of office, they are not allowed to use these data for any purpose.
Violation of data confidentiality and/or statistical confidentiality by any civil servant or employee of ELSTAT constitutes the disciplinary offence of violation of duty and may be punished with the penalty of final dismissal.
ELSTAT, by its decision, may impose a penalty amounting from ten thousand (10,000) up to two hundred thousand (200,000) euros to anyone who violates the confidentiality of data and/or statistical confidentiality. The penalty is always imposed after the hearing of the defense of the person liable for the breach, depending on the gravity and the repercussions of the violation. Any relapse constitutes an aggravating factor for the assessment of the administrative sanction.
Pursuant to the Regulation on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data [Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council, of 27 April 2016 (GDPR)], ELSTAT implements the appropriate technical and organisational measures for ensuring adequate level of security against risks for the personal data it collects and has access to, in the context of carrying out its tasks, in order to meet the requirements of this Regulation and to protect these personal data from any unauthorised access or illegal processing
8.1. Release calendar
For vital events, annual data are announced 10 months after the reference year (based on the year event).
For population and migration, data are announced 12 months after the end of the reference year.
In line with the Community legal framework and the European Statistics Code of Practice, ELSTAT disseminates national statistics on ELSTAT’s website respecting professional independence and, in an objective, professional and transparent manner in which all users are treated equitably.
In this context, data are released simultaneously to all interested parties and users through the announcement of data on Estimated Population and Migration Flows, which is posted on the website of ELSTAT according to the release calendar. This announcement is also available by e-mail to all interested parties. In addition, data are transmitted to Eurostat on predefined dates.
Annually.
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
Vital statistics data are announced at the end of September whereas the population and migration estimation at the end of December
Special editions containing the main results of the Vital Statistics survey and Estimated Migration Flows and Estimated Population are released each year.
The links for 2024 regarding births, deaths ans estimated migration and population respectively are:
See the table 11.2.2 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
Population and migration statistics are widely used for planning actions, monitoring and evaluating programmes in several policy areas in the social and economic fields, such as analysis of population ageing and its effects on sustainability and welfare, evaluation of fertility as a background for family policies, evaluation of the economic impact of demographic change, calculation of demographic indicators.
The main users of population and migration statistics are the following:
Ministries and other Public Organizations;
Researchers (universities, research centers etc.);
Companies of private sector;
Journalists;
Natural persons and citizens.
At international level, data are used by Eurostat, United Nations (UN) etc.
Data covers the 95% of the user requirements. All requirements arising from regulations of the European Union are met.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
Overall accuracy and special cases (inclusion/exclusion of asylum seekers and refugees, persons living on unauthorised or irregular basis, international students, persons who do not register/deregister, etc.).
See the table 13.1 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A.
13.1.1 Accuracy - unknown values
See the table 13.1.1 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A.
13.2. Sampling error
See the table 13.2 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A.
13.3. Non-sampling error
See the table 13.3 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A.
14.1. Timeliness
According to Article 4 (2) of the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 205/2014, each year Member States shall provide the Commission (Eurostat) with data at national and regional level as described in Annex II and related standard reference metadata (in the metadata structure definition defined for the Euro SDMX Metadata Structure) for the reference year within 12 months of the end of the reference year. According to Article 3 (2) of the Commission Regulation (EU) No 862/2007, Statistics on international migration, usually resident population and acquisition of citizenship shall be supplied to the Commission (Eurostat) within 12 months of the end of the reference year.
14.2. Punctuality
Not applicable.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
All data are full comparable between regions. Common data collection framework (concepts, definitions, classifications, etc.) in all geographic areas.
15.2. Comparability - over time
See the table 15.2 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
This population estimation is used for all statistical domains and census results are used for the estimation as well as for the update of the population structure.
Regarding vital events cross checks are not possible due to unavailability of other relevant sources.
15.4. Coherence - internal
Vital statistics are used for the purposes of the compilation of estimated population.
For full consistency, after the release of the results of the population census, migration data are revised.
In addition, the results of Population Censuses are used for the revision of the migration and estimated population data of the intercensal years.
Not estimated.
17.1. Data revision - policy
Intercensal years estimates could be subject to revision if necessary, always according to the Revision Policy of ELSTAT.
17.2. Data revision - practice
Within the context of the revision policy of ELSTAT and the conclusion of the revision process of the population estimations for the intermediate years between the 2011 and 2021 Population-Housing Censuses, the estimated population on 1st January has been revised for the years 2012 – 2021, whereas emigration and net migration data have been revised for the intercensal period (years 2011 – 2021).
Moreover, in the context of the post-census revision of population estimates, a review of the migration estimation models was carried out. The existing models were revised taking into account the final results of the 2021 Population Census, the revised population data for the years 2012 – 2021 and the basic demographic equation. To that end, based on the revised migration models, the estimated population on 1st January has been revised for the years 2023 – 2024, whereas immigration and emigration data have been revised for the years 2022 – 2023.
See the table 18.1 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Vital statistics data are collected on a monthly basis.
18.3. Data collection
Employees of Registry Offices register the Certificates of Births, Deaths, Marriages and Divorces in the Registrations Information System of the Ministry of Interior. Ministry of Interior transmit the required information to ELSTAT. For persons related to the international or temporary protection procedures, data are collected by the Ministry of Migration and Asylum.
18.4. Data validation
In addition to the checks carried out by the administrative sources, validation checks are carried out by ELSTAT.
18.5. Data compilation
For the compilation of estimated population the demographic equation is used:
Pt+1= Pt + Bt - Dt + It - Et , where:
t+1 = the reference year και t = the previous year,
Pt+1 = population on 1st January of the year t+1
Pt = population on 1st January of the year t
Bt = live births (excluding mothers residing abroad)
Immigration is estimated using a model with two independent variables, namely immigration of the previous year and the percentage change of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the previous year, as well. Additionally, immigration includes persons residing permanently in the Country, who meet the conditions of European Regulation (EC) 862/2007 on Community statistics on migration and international protection. Relevant data are drawn from the Ministry of Migration and Asylum and refer to persons who applied for international protection status as well as to persons who, coming from Ukraine, applied for the temporary protection status in Greece, which was activated especially in E.U. countries for refugees from Ukraine.
Emigration is estimated using a regression model, based on available data regarding immigrants from Greece to Germany.
More information about data compilation is available to the annex.
18.6. Adjustment
Demographic balancing equation is applied. Some adjustments are used because of rounding.
A annex describing in detail the migration and population estimation processes is attached.
Data and metadata are transmitted to Eurostat by the Member States in the framework of the Unified Demographic Data Collection which is in accordance with Regulation (EC) 862/2007 and Regulation (EU) 1260/2013 and their implementing regulations.
3.4.1 Statistical concepts and definitions used in the statistics transmitted to Eurostat
One of the following definitions is used by a country when explaining the statistical concepts:
Usually resident population means all persons having their usual residence in a Member State at the reference time; for more information see the Article 2 of Regulation (EU) 1260/2013.
Legal residence population is composed of those persons who are entitled to be settled in the country at the reference date, either by holding the national citizenship or by other authorization issued by national authorities.
Registered residence population is composed of those persons who are listed on one or more registers owned by national authorities at the reference date. Each registered person shall be counted only once.
See the table 3.4.1 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A.
3.4.2 Statistical concepts and definitions used in the statistics disseminated in the National Statistical Institute's website
See the table 3.4.2 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A.
Number of persons.
See the table 3.6 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A.
Population, live births and deaths data are available at national and regional level of geographical detail.
The reference date for population data is the end of the reference period (midnight of 31 December). The reference period for vital and dual events data is the calendar year in which the events occurred. The reference period for migration flow data is the calendar year during which the migration occurred.
Overall accuracy and special cases (inclusion/exclusion of asylum seekers and refugees, persons living on unauthorised or irregular basis, international students, persons who do not register/deregister, etc.).
See the table 13.1 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A.
13.1.1 Accuracy - unknown values
See the table 13.1.1 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A.
Data is collected at unit (person) level.
For the compilation of estimated population the demographic equation is used:
Pt+1= Pt + Bt - Dt + It - Et , where:
t+1 = the reference year και t = the previous year,
Pt+1 = population on 1st January of the year t+1
Pt = population on 1st January of the year t
Bt = live births (excluding mothers residing abroad)
Immigration is estimated using a model with two independent variables, namely immigration of the previous year and the percentage change of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the previous year, as well. Additionally, immigration includes persons residing permanently in the Country, who meet the conditions of European Regulation (EC) 862/2007 on Community statistics on migration and international protection. Relevant data are drawn from the Ministry of Migration and Asylum and refer to persons who applied for international protection status as well as to persons who, coming from Ukraine, applied for the temporary protection status in Greece, which was activated especially in E.U. countries for refugees from Ukraine.
Emigration is estimated using a regression model, based on available data regarding immigrants from Greece to Germany.
More information about data compilation is available to the annex.
See the table 18.1 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A.
Annually.
According to Article 4 (2) of the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 205/2014, each year Member States shall provide the Commission (Eurostat) with data at national and regional level as described in Annex II and related standard reference metadata (in the metadata structure definition defined for the Euro SDMX Metadata Structure) for the reference year within 12 months of the end of the reference year. According to Article 3 (2) of the Commission Regulation (EU) No 862/2007, Statistics on international migration, usually resident population and acquisition of citizenship shall be supplied to the Commission (Eurostat) within 12 months of the end of the reference year.
All data are full comparable between regions. Common data collection framework (concepts, definitions, classifications, etc.) in all geographic areas.
See the table 15.2 in the annex POPSTAT_UNIESMS_A.
