According to Eurostat, with the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, the population of the 27 countries that make up the EU has fallen by almost 172,000 since last year and by more than 656,000 since January 2020.
The population of the European Union shrank for the second consecutive year last year, as announced today by statistical office of the EUwhile the region has been shaken by the more than two million deaths due to the coronavirus.
According to Eurostat, the population of the 27 countries that make up the EU has fallen by almost 172,000 since last year and by more than 656,000 since January 2020.
“In 2020 and 20221, positive net migration no longer compensated for negative natural change in the EU, and as a result, the total EU population is decreasing“, the statistical office said, showing the impact from the pandemic.
The number of deaths began to exceed births in the EU a decade ago, but immigration from outside the EU helped make up the difference by the first year of the pandemic.
The last time the EU recorded a decline in population was in 2011 — the only other time since 1960 — but it has grown rapidly due to net migration.
Given the pandemic, an aging population and relatively low birth rates, Eurostat said deaths will continue to exceed births in the coming years.
“If this applies“, Eurostat reported, “whether the total EU population will decrease or increase in the future is likely to depend to a large extent on the contribution of net migration».
While Italy, Poland and Romania recorded the biggest population declines, more than half of EU member states saw their populations increase, with France, the Netherlands and Sweden topping the rankings.
According to Eurostat, 446.8 million people resided within the EU in January 2022.
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