The EU population is expected to decline by 11.7 per cent between 2025 and 2100, acccording to the latest population projections from Eurostat, the EU’s statistics agency.
The figures translate to a predicted decrease of 53.0 million people in the EU by the start of the next century.
In 2025, the EU population was estimated at 451.8 million, having resumed its growth trend in 2022, after the COVID-19 pandemic disruption in 2021. Looking ahead, the population is projected to continue to increase over the next 3 years, peaking at 453.3 million in 2029, before gradually declining to 398.8 million by 2100.
The information comes from the population projections published by Eurostat. The results are based on assumptions of partial convergence of EU countries’ fertility, mortality and migration patterns.
Between 2025 and 2100, the proportion of children, young people, and working-age people in the total EU population is expected to decline. The share of children and young people (aged 0-19) is projected to decrease from 20% to 17%, while the share of working-age people (aged 20-64) is expected to fall from 58% to 50% by 2100.
In contrast, the proportion of older age groups (65 and over) is projected to increase. The share of those aged 65-79 is anticipated to rise from 16% in 2025 to 17% in 2100, whereas the share of those aged 80 and over is expected to increase by 10 percentage points, from 6% to 16%.
The EU’s population pyramid for 2025 shows a society with long life expectancy, low mortality and low birth rates. The population is predominantly composed of working-age people above 50, while the shares of young people under 20 are considerably smaller.
By 2100, the pyramid shows, there is a shift towards a shrinking population, with a growing share of people in older age groups and a declining young population and that of working age.
