Cohabitation agreements are becoming popular in Greece, due to the economic crisis that hit the country in 2009. According to the Greek registry office, since the Ministry of interior introduced the new legislation the number of couples that opt for a cohabitation agreement instead of a wedding is on the rise. Konstantinos Vlachakis, head of the Athens Notary Association noted to the Greek newspaper “Kathimerini” that cohabitation agreement rates are increasing by 30% per year. “It is considered even cheaper than a civil wedding, because a wedding in Greece always entails a ceremony and expenses.” According to data released by the Greek registry office, when the legislation changed in 2009, a total of 161 couples opted for a cohabitation agreement instead of a religious or civil wedding. However, as the years passed the number increased significantly and in 2014 it amounted to 1,568, while during January 2015, a total of 143 were signed. A lot has changed in just a few years. When the cohabitation agreement was first introduced to Greek society it used to be unpopular among Greek couples who chose to formalize their relationships in different ways, due to various social prejudices and inequalities. Meanwhile, Greece has been vastly criticized for the exclusion of gay couples from the cohabitation agreement legislation, with people complaining about continuing discrimination.
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