How Many Cities Are in Greece?

Greece has **over 3,000 recognized cities and towns** (officially: *dimoi* and *koinotites* under the 2011 Kallikratis reform, consolidated into 332 municipalities).

Breakdown

• Major Metropolitan Areas: Athens (3.1M metro), Thessaloniki (1.1M), Patras (215k), Heraklion (180k), Larissa (165k), Volos (145k), Ioannina (113k).
• Municipal Units (332): Each contains a seat (city/town) + surrounding communities.
• Traditional Settlements: ~10,000+ named places (villages, hamlets, islands).

Urban vs. Rural

• **Urban population:** ~80% (one of EU's highest).
• **Athens-Piraeus** alone = ~35% of national population.
• **Island municipalities:** Many "cities" are island capitals (Chios, Mytilene, Rhodes, Kos, Santorini/Thira, Naxos, Paros, Syros/Ermoupoli).

The "3,000+" figure includes every municipal seat and significant settlement. For practical purposes: **~60 cities >20k population**, **~332 municipalities**, **countless villages**.