Athens, Sep 1 (IANS) Greece is closing hundreds of schools as falling student numbers highlight the country's worsening demographic situation, Kathimerini, a leading Greek daily newspaper that focuses on politics and economics, reported on Monday.

For the 2025-2026 academic year, 721 of Greece's 13,478 schools will suspend operations due to insufficient enrollment, most of them kindergartens and primary schools, according to the Education Ministry data.

The student population is projected at about 1.21 million for the 2025-2026 academic year, a drop of more than 150,000 compared with the level during 2018-2019, Xinhua News Agency reported.

The closures come against a backdrop of long-term demographic decline. According to the Hellenic Statistical Authority, Greece's population has fallen by over 400,000 in the past 13 years due to plunging birth rates, aging, and outward migration.

School closures have been reported nationwide, including 77 in the Attica region. In remote areas, some children now need to travel up to 80 km daily to attend classes, the report said.

Earlier in August, Greece opened its higher education system to private institutions for the first time, with four foreign university branches set to operate from the academic year beginning this September.

According to the declaration of the Ministry of Education, two universities will be based in Athens and two in Thessaloniki, Greece's second-largest city.

The Greek official news agency AMNA reported that these institutions include the American University of Anatolia, CITY (affiliated with the University of York), the University of Keele, Greece, and UNIC Athens (affiliated with the University of Nicosia).

The ministry said the licenses were granted under strict criteria covering academic quality, staffing, and infrastructure.

"This is a historic step for the benefit of younger generations," Education Minister Sophia Zacharaki said, noting that the reform would expand study options and strengthen Greece's role as a regional education hub.

For decades, private higher education was banned under the Greek constitution. However, the parliament changed course in 2024 by passing a law allowing non-state, non-profit universities to operate under close supervision.

--IANS

akl/as