Good to know
Good to Know
- Ios has approximately 2,300 permanent residents, with most living in Chora; the island is significantly depopulated outside summer tourism season.
- The vast majority of economic activity is tourism-related, with residents primarily employed in hospitality, food service, and accommodations.
- No documented tech startup ecosystem or significant business sector exists on the island; any digital nomads or remote workers would be isolated from a tech community.
- The island's population declined dramatically from 3,500 in the 20th century, reflecting broader rural-to-urban migration patterns in Greece.
Population
- Trend
- declining (down from 3,500 in 20th century)
- Census Year
- 2021
- Permanent Residents
- 2299
Key Observation
Ios is a small, primarily Greek island with minimal permanent year-round business presence outside tourism and traditional agriculture. Seasonal international tourism peaks June-September.
Primary Industries
Primary Industries
- Tourism (dominant seasonal employer)
- Agriculture (sheep, goats, dairy, honey production)
Notable Nationalities
—
Foreign Born Percentage
—
Population Distribution
- Capital Chora Percentage
- approximately 75%
- Note
- Three quarters of permanent population concentrated in Chora (main town)
Business And Tech Presence
—
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this local demographics research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
More About Ios
Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.