Western Greece Region is one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It comprises the western part of continental Greece and the northwestern part of the Peloponnese peninsula. It occupies an area of 11,336 km² and its population is, according to the 2011 census, at 679,796 inhabitants. The capital of the Western Greece is Patras, the third-largest-city in the country with a population of about 280,000 inhabitants. The NUTS 2 code for the region of Western Greece is EL63.

Administration

The region of Western Greece was established in the 1987 administrative reform. With the 2010 Kallikratis plan, its powers and authority were redefined and extended. Along with Peloponnese and the Ionian Islands regions, it is supervised by the Decentralized Administration of Peloponnese, Western Greece and the Ionian Islands based at Patras. The region is based at Patras and is divided into three regional units (pre-Kallikratis prefectures), Aetolia-Acarnania in Central Greece and Achaea and Elis in Peloponnese, which are further subdivided into 19 municipalities.

Climate

The region has hot, dry summers and mild, wet winters, typical of a Mediterranean climate (Csa). Sunny days dominate during the summer months in areas within the beaches and partially cloudy and rainy in the mountains. Snow is very common during the winter in the mountains of Erymanthus, Panachaiko and Aroania. Winter average temperatures are around the 10 °C mark throughout the low-lying areas.

Economy

The Gross domestic product (GDP) of the region was 8.3 billion € in 2018, accounting for 4.5% of Greek economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was €15,200 or 50% of the EU27 average in the same year. The GDP per employee was 65% of the EU average.

Demographics

The region has shrunk by 36,447 people between 2011 and 2021, experiencing a population loss of 5.4%.

Major communities

Gallery