What is the capital of Greece?
Athens spreads across the plain of Attica, ringed by mountains and open to the Saronic Gulf, with the Acropolis rising at its centre.
Athens is the capital and seat of government of Greece, a role it has held since 1834. Greece itself has an estimated population of 10,413,962 (2025).
Athens is also the largest city in Greece, which is the usual arrangement, though it is far from universal: see the countries where capital and largest city differ.
Athens at a glance
| City population | 643,452 (2021 census) |
|---|---|
| Metropolitan area | 3,638,281 (2021 census) |
| Country | 🇬🇷 Greece |
| Capital since | 1834 |
| Largest city in Greece | Athens |
| Time zone | UTC+02:00 (EET) |
| Currency | Euro (EUR) |
About Athens
Athens has been the capital of Greece since 1834, Athens became the capital of the modern Greek state in 1834, replacing Nafplio.
Athens is one of the world's oldest cities, with over 3,400 years of recorded history, and is widely regarded as the cradle of Western civilisation and the birthplace of democracy.
It is Greece's largest city, and its metropolitan area is home to a large share of the country's population.
City facts sourced from Wikipedia: Athens.
Frequently asked questions
What is the capital of Greece?
Is Athens the largest city in Greece?
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Where is Athens located?
When did Athens become the capital of Greece?
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Capitals of neighbouring countries
See the full profile of Greece on its country page, or browse every capital city.
Capital and country data from open datasets; city and metropolitan populations are hand-curated per city and cited where they are shown. Populations of countries come from the World Bank (SP.POP.TOTL). Full sources and vintage on the data page. Last updated . Report a correction.