Schools close and island life is under threat as Greece reckons with low birth rates

Four-year-old Vasiliki Vourgou and her teacher Maria Kokkinopliti in their kindergarten class in the village of Thanos on the Greek island of Lemnos on Sept. 29, 2025.

In Greece, fewer babies means difficult decisions, especially on remote islands where low birth rates are forcing some schools to close and raising questions about the future of island culture.

(Image credit: Ayman Oghanna for NPR)