SANTORINI Three years old Gerasimos and seven years old Georgia dragging the trunk of a palm tree felled by the wind. Five-year-old twins Dimitris and Giannis following the turtle sky.
Nikos Argyros37, and Olympia Giouroukelin37, the children have plenty to do in the family yard in the village of Mesa Gonia on the island of Santorini in Greece.
– Come for a snack when you have time, Olympia Giouroukeli tells the next generation.
There is no rush.
Giouroukeli, who trained as a food technician, has been at home since the birth of the twins.
On the island, extended family often runs in the family, says Nikos Argyros. He is the Deputy Mayor of Santorini specializing in urban planning.
Families with nine children are not strange.
– My brother and cousin are also from extended families. Community spirit encourages starting a big family. We support each other, says Argyros.
Seasonal workers stay on the island
Greece tested by the low birth rate. Finland has the same problem.
Among the regions of Greece, only in the southern Aegean Sea are more people born than die, says the deputy governor and chairman of the Santorini extended family association Haralambos Darzentas.
The clear leader of the birth statistics is Santorini. On average, there are twice as many births as deaths on the island every year.
The trend is not explained by a support policy that differs from the rest of the country, but by low unemployment. It makes it possible to start a family.
– Tourism attracts many young adults from abroad to work in Santorini. Many of them settle on the island, Darzentas sums up.
Occupations related to tourism, such as the construction industry, also employ young people.
In the video, Olympia Giouroukeli advises Finns why you should increase family size at a young age:
Certificate of honor and cash prize for the fourth child
In Greece, every legally and permanently resident mother or guardian of a child receives birth allowance, which is from the first baby 2,400 euros. The allowance increases for the following babies and can reach a maximum of 3,500 euros.
Mothers are also entitled, depending on their income, to support equivalent to the minimum wage in the private sector, around 800 euros for nine months.
The average salary of Greeks is per month 1175 euros.
In Santorini, the municipality and the association of large families support families with many children at Christmas and Easter with free food. In addition, well-achieving students from extended families and mothers who have given birth to a fourth child are awarded with a certificate of honor and a small cash prize.
This year there are more people giving birth to their fourth child than in previous years.
Olympia Giouroukeli had her first child at the age of 29. The baby bonus for parents under the age of 30, which was on display in Finland, gets applause from him.
– It could be one of the incentives to start a family in Greece as well, Giouroukeli thinks.
Short trips to school and the maternity hospital make everyday life easier
Functional health care is important for large families.
On Santorini, there are pediatricians in the villages, and there is a hospital on the island.
Gynecologist at the hospital Jason Critsotakis high-risk pregnancies are referred to the mainland, but other births can be treated on the island.
Critsotakis sees that the functioning of the family improves after the third child. She has chosen not to have abortions.
– I have talked with couples who have experienced a surprise pregnancy on the island and reminded them that life does not require perfect pre-programming.
As a result of the consultation, Critsotakis has even ended up as the baby’s godfather.
Santorini also has all grades and day care for babies and toddlers. Buses transport small children to kindergartens.
In addition to middle schools, high school and technical high school, special education has been organized on the island.
Does Santorini the size of Iso-Nauvo still attract residents?
Santorini is a small island by Greek standards, about the size of Iso-Nauvo in Parais.
According to the estimate of the Santorini regional management, there are 25,000–30,000 inhabitants. According to the population survey conducted in 2021, there were approximately 15,000 inhabitants at that time.
There are nearly 500 extended families on the island.
Despite the increased number of inhabitants, crime does not appear worse, and families with children do not even seem to worry about the fact that they live on top of an active volcano.
Is there still room for additional residents in the “baby factory”?
There is some, if the state makes the right decisions, says Nikos Argyros.
– Free space must be used to build apartments and schools, Argyros emphasizes.
If his wife Olympia is anything to go by, more residents are coming. Giouroukeli would welcome a new baby into the family.