The following era was marked by instability, as over 1.5 million propertyless Greek refugees from Turkey had to be integrated into Greek society. Because the term "Greeks" in the exchange was based on religion Cappadocian Greeks, Pontian Greeks, and non Greek followers of Greek Orthodoxy were all subject to the exchange as well. Many of these refugees couldn't even speak the language, and were from alien environments, such as the case of the non Greeks and Cappadocians. The refugees also made a dramatic post war population boost, as the amount of refugees was more than a quarter of Greece's prior population. The task was undertaken by settling the Pontians and Cappadocians in the Macedonian mountains, where they would adapt better, and settling the Demotic speakers and non Greeks in the Greek Isles and cities, where they were already adapted to.

How many Greek refugees came from Turkey?