In the period under examination, especially after 1900, there was a huge wave of immigration to the United States of America (USA).

Between 1890 and 1920, 386,611 people emmigrated from Greece, of which the overwhelming percentage (95 per cent) went to America, when the population of the country in 1907 was 2,631,952 people. It is estimated that approximately 10 per cent of the total population of the country or 25 per cent of the financially active population emigrated to the USA between 1890 and 1910.

Table: Emigration to overseas countries 1891-1920

Years Total
of immigrants		 immigrants
to USA.		 immigrants
to other countries
1891-1900 16.979 16.979 --
1901-1905 51.479 49.962 1.517
1906-1910 122.034 117.557 4.477
1911-1915 128.521 118.916 9.605
1916-1920 67.598 65.285 2.313
Total 386.611 368.699 17.912

Source: Emke - Poulopoulou I., Provlimata metanastefsis palinnostisis, Athens, IMÅÏ - ÅDIÌ, 1986, p. 38.

The large volume of immigrants originated from rural areas, mostly the areas of the northern and western Peloponnese, which were hit by the raisin crisis. Difficulties in the selling the raisin crop led to producers being over-indebted to financiers and thus the only solution for them was emmigration. Their emigrant wages were very important for their families, who managed to pay off some of their debts in this way. In general lines emigration decreased the human potential of the rural areas, but, on the other hand, helped to maintenance a steady level of wages. At the same time the national economy benefitted, since the remitance of wages sent home from abroad, as an 'invisible resource', reinforcing the stock exchange deposits of the country and given that they formed one-quarter of income from exports, contributed to the the trade balance of Greece.

Immigrants to overseas countries did not wish to settle permanently but merely to cover their short-term living needs. For this reason a considerable percentage of repatriations was observed after a short period abroad.