7. The population of the European Union The evolution of the population Europe has always been one of the most populous continents. From the 19th centur y to 1970, there was great demographic growth. However, there were also some periods of decline due to a high increase in mortality during events such as the 1918 influenza epidemic and the two world wars. In the last third of the 20th centur y, the growth rate slowed. Currently, the growth rate is stationar y. Between 2005 and 2020, the population of the European Union (EU) grew by 900,000 people per year on average. However, in the 1960s it grew by 3 million per year. In 2020, the population reached 448 million. The distribution of the population is ver y uneven . The most populous countr y is Germany, followed by France, Italy and Spain . (18) Malta , Belgium and the Netherlands have the highest population densities. States further north , like Sweden and Estonia have the lowest population densities. (17) Since 2012, the EU has had a negative rate of natural increase because more people are dying than are born . However, the positive net migration rate is enabling the population in the region to grow. (20) Nevertheless, the populations of ten EU countries decreased in 2020. Demographic ageing Over 20 % of the population of the EU is 65 years old or over. Around 15 % is under 15 years old . (19) As a result, the average age of the EU population is over 43 years old, and 46 in Italy, which has the oldest population . The causes of demographic ageing are: Low birth rates (9.3 ‰) and low fertility rates (1.5 births per woman). High life expectancy: 81 years old on average, which is higher for women (83.5) than men (78.3). If the fertility rate remains at its current low level , demographic ageing will increase in the next few years. This is because people born between 1960 and 1975, called baby boomers, will become part of the elderly group. This will increase expenditure on health and social protection systems and raise taxes for the working population . 18. Distribution of EU population SOURC E : E u r o s t a t , 2 0 2 0 . Ge rmany Aus t r i a Be l g i um Bu l ga r i a Cyp r us C r oa t i a Denma r k S l ovak i a S l oven i a Spa i n E s t on i a F i n l and F r ance Gr eece Hunga r y I t a l y I r e l and L a t v i a L i t huan i a Luxembou r g Ma l t a The Ne t he r l ands Po l and Po r t uga l Cz ech Repub l i c Roman i a Sweden 18 . 6 % 10 . 6 % 15 % 13 . 3 % 8 . 5 % % o f t o t a l popu l a t i on 959143_02_p068_h02_pobl_paises_UE 17. Population density of the EU by country Mediterranean Sea A T L A N T I C O C E A N Black Sea North Sea 959143_02_p68_UE_densi dad SOURCE: Eurostat, 2020. Malta: 1,631 inhab./km2 0 550 kilometres Scale SOURC E : E u r o s t a t a n d I NE , 2 0 2 0 . 24.7 % 63.2 % 10.2 % 1.9 % 18.3 % 67.1 % 11.1 % 3.4 % 15.1 % 64.4 % 14.6 % 5.9 % 13.7 % 56.8 % 18.2 % 11.3 % 1970 1990 2020 2050 1 5 - 6 4 0 - 1 4 6 5 - 7 9 8 0 a n d o v e r Ag e g r o u p s 959143_02_p068_h03_evol_estruc_dem_UE 19. Evolution of the EU's demographic structure From 50 to 100 959143_02_p68_leyenda_UE_dens Less than 50 Density (in inhab./km2) From 100 to 150 From 150 to 300 More than 300 42
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