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| Administrative divisions of Greece Διοικητική διαίρεση της Ελλάδας (Greek) | |
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| Category | Unitary state |
| Location | Hellenic Republic |
| Number | 13 regions, 332 municipalities, 1 autonomous entity (as of 2021) |
| Populations | Total: 10,432,481 |
| Areas | Total: 131,957 km2 (50,949 sq mi) |
| This article is part ofa series on |
| Politics of Greece |
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Following the implementation on 1 September 2019 of theKleisthenis I Programme, the administrative divisions of Greece consist of two main levels: theregions and themunicipalities. In addition, a number ofdecentralized administrations overseeing the regions exist as part of the Ministry of the Interior, but are not part of local government. The oldprefectures were either abolished and divided or transformed intoregional units in 2011 by Kallikratis Plan. Theadministrative regions are divided intoregional units which are further subdivided intomunicipalities. The Eastern Orthodox monastic community onMount Athos is an autonomousself-governing entity.
The first level of administrative division is composed of the newdecentralized administrations (αποκεντρωμένες διοικήσεις,apokentroménes dioikíseis), comprising two or three regions (except forAttica andCrete), run by a government-appointedgeneral secretary, assisted by an advisory council drawn from the regional governors and the representatives of the municipalities.
Decentralized Administration of Attica, with the capital ofAthens
Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace, with the capital ofThessaloniki
Decentralized Administration of Epirus and Western Macedonia, with the capital ofIoannina
Decentralized Administration of Thessaly and Central Greece, with the capital ofLarissa
Decentralized Administration of Peloponnese, Western Greece and the Ionian, with the capital ofPatras
Decentralized Administration of the Aegean, with the capital ofPiraeus
Decentralized Administration of Crete, with the capital ofHeraklion
Mount Athos (self-governing, excluded from the Kallikratis Plan)
The second level is composed of theregions (περιφέρειες,periféreies; sing. περιφέρεια,periféreia), run by a regional governor (περιφερειάρχης,perifereiárchis) and a regional council (περιφερειακό συμβούλιο,perifereiakó symvoúlio), popularly elected every 4 years.
The regions are divided into 74regional units (περιφερειακές ενότητες,perifereiakés enótites), usually but not always coterminous with the formerprefectures. Each regional unit is headed by a vice-regional governor (αντιπεριφερειάρχης,antiperifereiárchis), drawn from the same political block as the regional governor.
The fourth level of government is constituted by themunicipalities (δήμοι,dímoi; sing. δήμος,dímos), which have resulted from merging several former municipalities and communities (themselves the subject of a previous reform with the 1997Kapodistrias plan). They are run by a mayor (δήμαρχος,dímarchos) and a municipal council (δημοτικό συμβούλιο,dimotikó symvoúlio), elected every 4 years. The municipalities are further subdivided into municipal units (δημοτικές ενότητες,dimotikés enótites) and finally into communities (κοινότητες,koinótites). Although communities have their own councils, their role is purely advisory to the municipal-level government.
From 1 January 2011, in accordance with theKallikratis programme, the administrative system ofGreece was drastically overhauled. Theformer system of 13regions, 54prefectures and 1033municipalities and communities was replaced by 7 decentralized administrations, 13 regions and 325 municipalities.[1] From 2019 there are 332 municipalities (Kleisthenis I Programme).
Thefirst elections to the restructured Greek local government areas were held between 29 May and 2 June 2010.
