The South Aegean region was established in the 1987 administrative reform. With the 2010Kallikratis plan, its powers and authority were redefined and extended. Along with theNorth Aegean region, it is supervised by the Decentralized Administration of the Aegean based atPiraeus. The capital of the region is situated inErmoupoli on the island ofSyros. The administrative region includes 50 inhabited islands, including the popular tourism destinations of Mykonos, Santorini and Rhodes.[4]
The region was one in only two in Greece to grow in population between 2011 and 2021 along with Crete, adding a total of 15,527 people (increase of 5%).[1] It overtookEpirus and is presently the 9th largest region by population in Greece.[citation needed]
TheGross domestic product (GDP) of the province was 6.4 billion € in 2018, accounting for 3.5% of Greek economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was 22,400 € or 74% of the EU27 average in the same year. The GDP per employee was 79% of the EU average. South Aegean is the region in Greece with the second highest GDP per capita.[6]
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