# Greece and North Macedonia compared

Greece and North Macedonia side by side: 43 shared sourced indicators across 9 domains, and the 8 events their chronicles record of each other.

Canonical: https://terralore.co/compare/grc-vs-mkd
Updated: 2026-08-10 (latest of the two dossiers' refreshes and the two chronicles' verification dates)

Two sourced records set beside each other — nothing on this page was written for the pair. Every figure is the same observation, with the same source, as on the two national dossiers; every event is the same record, with the same sources, as on its own chronicle. Figures are compared, never graded. A "—" is an absence in the source data, never a zero; each value shows its own observation year — vintages differ by indicator and nation.

## Formation

- Greece: February 1830 — The London Protocol recognises Greece as an independent state
- North Macedonia: 1991 — North Macedonia becomes independent in the breakup of Yugoslavia

## Economy

| Metric | Greece | Observed | North Macedonia | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GDP | $256 B | 2024 | $17 B | 2024 |
| GDP per capita | $24,626 | 2024 | $9,292 | 2024 |
| GDP growth | 2.1% | 2024 | 3.0% | 2024 |
| Inflation | 2.7% | 2024 | 3.5% | 2024 |
| Trade openness | 89.8% | 2024 | 136.3% | 2024 |

## Society

| Metric | Greece | Observed | North Macedonia | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10 m | 2024 | 1.8 m | 2024 |
| Life expectancy | 81.8 yrs | 2024 | 76.6 yrs | 2024 |
| Urban population | 79.0% | 2024 | 62.6% | 2024 |
| Fertility rate | 1.2 | 2024 | 1.4 | 2024 |

## Governance

| Metric | Greece | Observed | North Macedonia | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Voice & accountability | 70.5 | 2024 | 58.1 | 2024 |
| Political stability | 68.3 | 2024 | 68.6 | 2024 |
| Government effectiveness | 55.1 | 2024 | 50.7 | 2024 |
| Regulatory quality | 62.4 | 2024 | 59.1 | 2024 |
| Rule of law | 62.1 | 2024 | 53.1 | 2024 |
| Control of corruption | 53.9 | 2024 | 41.2 | 2024 |

## Health

| Metric | Greece | Observed | North Macedonia | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health spending | 8.4% | 2023 | 7.4% | 2023 |
| Physicians | 6.58 | 2022 | 2.94 | 2022 |
| Under-5 mortality | 3.8 | 2024 | 2.8 | 2024 |
| Measles immunisation | 91.0% | 2024 | 73.0% | 2024 |
| Safe drinking water | 96.7% | 2024 | 80.8% | 2024 |

## Education

| Metric | Greece | Observed | North Macedonia | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adult literacy | 93.9% | 2009 | 96.1% | 2002 |
| Education spending | 3.4% | 2022 | 3.3% | 2002 |
| Primary enrolment | 102.0% | 2023 | 96.3% | 2023 |
| Secondary enrolment | 105.2% | 2023 | 90.1% | 2023 |
| Tertiary enrolment | 165.1% | 2023 | 55.0% | 2023 |

## Technology

| Metric | Greece | Observed | North Macedonia | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R&D spending | 1.5% | 2023 | 0.4% | 2024 |
| Researchers (per million) | 5,283 | 2023 | 888 | 2024 |
| Internet users | 86.3% | 2024 | 93.1% | 2025 |
| Mobile subscriptions | 114 | 2024 | 108 | 2024 |
| High-tech exports | 15.0% | 2024 | 6.4% | 2024 |

## Geography

| Metric | Greece | Observed | North Macedonia | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Land area | 128,900 km² | 2023 | 25,220 km² | 2023 |
| Forest area | 30.3% | 2023 | 39.7% | 2023 |
| Agricultural land | 41.7% | 2023 | 49.6% | 2023 |
| CO₂ per capita (t) | 5.0 | 2024 | 4.0 | 2024 |
| Renewable energy | 21.5% | 2021 | 19.5% | 2021 |

## Resources

| Metric | Greece | Observed | North Macedonia | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Resource rents | 0.1% | 2021 | 0.1% | 2021 |
| Oil rents | 0.0% | 2021 | 0.0% | 2021 |
| Mineral rents | 0.1% | 2021 | 0.0% | 2021 |
| Forest rents | 0.0% | 2021 | 0.1% | 2021 |
| Electricity access | 100.0% | 2023 | 100.0% | 2023 |
| Bauxite | 960 kt | 2025 | — | — |

## Military

| Metric | Greece | Observed | North Macedonia | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Military burden | 3.1% | 2024 | 2.1% | 2024 |
| Defense spending | $8.0 B | 2024 | $354 M | 2024 |
| Armed forces | 147,000 | 2020 | 16,000 | 2020 |

Each metric is also ranked across all nations: https://terralore.co/rankings (markdown twins at /rankings/<metric>.md). Full dossiers: https://terralore.co/country/GRC.md and https://terralore.co/country/MKD.md.

## Entangled histories (8 events)

Events in which either nation's sourced chronicle names the other — including under earlier names of the same state. Each is the record exactly as its own chronicle carries it, with that chronicle's sources.

- 359–336 BCE: **Reign of Philip II of Macedon** — Philip II reformed the Macedonian army and won mastery over the Greek city-states at Chaeronea, laying the foundations for the empire his son Alexander the Great would build across Asia. (from the North Macedonia chronicle; sources: Philip II, king of Macedonia; Macedonia (region, Europe): Map, History & Facts)
- 336–323 BCE: **Conquests of Alexander the Great** — Alexander III led Macedonian and Greek forces in the conquest of the Persian empire, carrying Hellenistic civilization from Egypt to the Indus before his death at Babylon in 323 BCE. (from the North Macedonia chronicle; sources: Alexander the Great)
- 1912–1913: **The Balkan Wars and the partition of Macedonia** — The Balkan Wars ended Ottoman rule and divided historic Macedonia among Greece, Serbia and Bulgaria; the northern Vardar region passed to Serbia, becoming the core of the future republic. (from the North Macedonia chronicle; sources: Macedonia (region, Europe): Map, History & Facts; North Macedonia: History (Ancient, Ottoman, Yugoslav))
- 1993: **UN admission as 'FYROM'** — Owing to Greece's objection over the name, the country was admitted to the United Nations under the provisional designation 'the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia'. (from the North Macedonia chronicle; sources: North Macedonia: Independence; A Guide to the United States' History of Recognition: North Macedonia)
- 13 Sep 1995: **The Interim Accord with Greece** — Greece and the country signed an Interim Accord under which Greece agreed not to object to its membership of international bodies referred to by the provisional name. (from the North Macedonia chronicle; sources: Application of the Interim Accord of 13 September 1995 (the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia v. Greece), Judgment of 5 December 2011; A Guide to the United States' History of Recognition: North Macedonia)
- 5 Dec 2011: **ICJ rules against Greece** — The International Court of Justice held that Greece had breached the Interim Accord by objecting to the country's admission to NATO at the 2008 Bucharest summit. (from the North Macedonia chronicle; sources: Application of the Interim Accord of 13 September 1995 (the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia v. Greece), Judgment of 5 December 2011)
- 17 Jun 2018: **The Prespa Agreement** — Greece and the country signed the Prespa Agreement, renaming it the Republic of North Macedonia (used erga omnes), terminating the 1995 accord and distinguishing the modern Slavic state from ancient Macedon. (from the North Macedonia chronicle; sources: Prespa Agreement (Final Agreement for the Settlement of the Differences), 17 June 2018; Application of the Interim Accord of 13 September 1995 (the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia v. Greece), Judgment of 5 December 2011)
- 27 Mar 2020: **North Macedonia joins NATO** — After the Prespa Agreement lifted Greece's objection, North Macedonia deposited its instrument of accession and became NATO's thirtieth member on 27 March 2020. (from the North Macedonia chronicle; sources: North Macedonia joins NATO as 30th Ally, 27 March 2020; A Guide to the United States' History of Recognition: North Macedonia)

## Sources

- World Development Indicators — World Bank · CC BY 4.0 · accessed 2026-06-14 · https://data.worldbank.org
- Worldwide Governance Indicators (via World Bank API) — Worldwide Governance Indicators / World Bank · CC BY 4.0 · accessed 2026-08-10 · https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/worldwide-governance-indicators
- Global Health Observatory (WHO, via World Bank WDI) — WHO / World Bank · CC BY 4.0 · accessed 2026-08-10 · https://www.who.int/data/gho
- Child mortality & immunisation estimates (UN IGME and WHO/UNICEF, via World Bank WDI) — UNICEF and WHO / World Bank · CC BY 4.0 · accessed 2026-08-10 · https://childmortality.org
- R&D statistics (UNESCO UIS, via World Bank WDI) — UNESCO Institute for Statistics / World Bank · CC BY 4.0 · accessed 2026-06-15 · https://uis.unesco.org
- ICT indicators (ITU, via World Bank WDI) — ITU / World Bank · CC BY 4.0 · accessed 2026-06-15 · https://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics
- Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 — U.S. Geological Survey · Public domain (U.S. Government work) · accessed 2026-08-10 · https://www.usgs.gov/centers/national-minerals-information-center
- Military Expenditure Database (via World Development Indicators) — SIPRI / World Bank · CC BY 4.0 · accessed 2026-06-14 · https://www.sipri.org/databases/milex

Chronicle references are cited inline above and resolve in full at https://terralore.co/country/GRC/chronicle.md and https://terralore.co/country/MKD/chronicle.md.

Citation template: Terralore, "Greece and North Macedonia compared", terralore.co/compare/grc-vs-mkd, retrieved <YYYY-MM-DD>.