The population of the European Union will continue to age throughout this century, with the median age of EU residents increasing by 6.6 years to reach 51.5 years by 2100, according to Eurostat data.
According to the study, the EU population will grow from 451.8 million in 2025 to a peak of 453.3 million in 2029, after which it will begin to gradually decline—to 445 million by 2050 and to 398.8 million by 2100. Thus, over the period 2025–2100, the total population decline will amount to 53 million people, or 11.7%.
Eurostat notes that the main consequence of current birth and death rates in the EU is the progressive aging of the population. At the same time, the number of people aged 65 and older in the EU is expected to more than double by the end of the century.
At the same time, the share of young people and the working-age population will decline. The share of people aged 20–64 is projected to decline from 61% of the EU population in 2025 to 49.7% in 2100, and their number will decrease by 63.6 million—from 262 million to 198.4 million.
At the same time, the share of the population aged 65 and older will rise from 12.4% at the start of 2025 to 33.6% in 2100, and the size of this age group will increase by 65.9 million people—to 133.8 million. In essence, this is the only major demographic group that will grow significantly in both relative and absolute terms.
Eurostat emphasizes that the aging process will affect all EU countries, although its pace will vary. The most significant increase in the median age of the population is expected in Malta, Cyprus, Ireland, Luxembourg, Lithuania, and Poland.
