Demographics of the European Union
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The demographics of the European Union show a highly populated, culturally diverse union of 27 member states. As of January 1, 2006, the population of the EU was about 493 million people[1]. Many countries are expected to experience a decline in population over the coming decades,[2], though this could be offset with new countries planning to join the EU within the next 20 years.
The most populous member state is Germany, with an estimated 82 million people. France and Ireland have the highest birth-rates. [3]
Population figures in the table below are the latest available for each country (some are 2006 estimates, other are 2007 estimates).
| Member State | Population in millions |
Population % of EU |
Area km2 |
Area % of EU |
Pop. density People/km2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 European Union |
494.8 | 100% | 4,422,773 | 100% | 112 |
 Austria |
8.3 | 1.7% | 83,858 | 1.9% | 99 |
.svg/22px-Flag_of_Belgium_(civil).svg.png){kind=small} Belgium |
10.5 | 2.1% | 30,510 | 0.7% | 344 |
 Bulgaria |
7.5 | 1.5% | 110,912 | 2.5% | 70 |
 Cyprus |
0.8 | 0.2% | 9,250 | 0.2% | 84 |
 Czech Republic |
10.3 | 2.1% | 78,866 | 1.8% | 131 |
 Denmark |
5.4 | 1.1% | 43,094 | 1.0% | 126 |
 Estonia |
1.4 | 0.3% | 45,226 | 1.0% | 29 |
 Finland |
5.3 | 1.1% | 337,030 | 7.6% | 16 |
 France[4] |
63.8 | 13.0% | 643,548 | 14.6% | 99 |
 Germany |
82.2 | 16.6% | 357,021 | 8.1% | 231 |
 Greece |
11.1 | 2.2% | 131,940 | 3.0% | 84 |
 Hungary |
10.1 | 2.0% | 93,030 | 2.1% | 108 |
 Ireland |
4.2 | 0.8% | 70,280 | 1.6% | 60 |
 Italy |
59.3 | 12% | 301,320 | 6.8% | 196 |
 Latvia |
2.3 | 0.5% | 64,589 | 1.5% | 35 |
 Lithuania |
3.4 | 0.7% | 65,200 | 1.5% | 52 |
 Luxembourg |
0.5 | 0.1% | 2,586 | 0.1% | 181 |
 Malta |
0.4 | 0.1% | 316 | 0.0% | 1,261 |
 Netherlands |
16.4 | 3.3% | 41,526 | 0.9% | 394 |
 Poland |
38.1 | 7.7% | 312,685 | 7.1% | 122 |
 Portugal |
10.6 | 2.1% | 92,931 | 2.1% | 114 |
 Romania |
21.6 | 4.4% | 238,391 | 5.4% | 91 |
 Spain |
45.1 | 9.0% | 504,782 | 11.4% | 87 |
 Slovakia |
5.4 | 1.1% | 48,845 | 1.1% | 111 |
 Slovenia |
2.0 | 0.4% | 20,253 | 0.5% | 99 |
 Sweden |
9.1 | 1.8% | 449,964 | 10.2% | 20 |
 United Kingdom |
60.6 | 12.3% | 244,820 | 5.5% | 246 |
Contents |
[edit] Most populous areas
The following is a list of the ten most populous cities, urban areas and urbon zones in the European Union, with their population according to 2005 estimates.[citation needed]
| City proper (2005) |
mill. |
Urban area (2005) |
mill. |
LUZ (2001) |
mill. |
 |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London | 7.5 | Paris | 9.9 | London | 11.6 | |||
| Berlin | 3.4 | London | 9.3 | Paris | 10.9 | |||
| Madrid | 3.1 | Madrid | 5.5 | Madrid | 5.6 | |||
| Rome | 2.5 | Ruhr | 5.3 | Ruhr | 5.4 | Barcelona | Berlin | London |
| Paris | 2.2 | Barcelona | 4.5 | Berlin | 4.9 | _04.jpg/145px-Gran_Vía_(Madrid)_04.jpg) |
 |
 |
| Bucharest | 1.9 | Milan | 3.8 | Barcelona | 4.8 | |||
| Hamburg | 1.8 | Berlin | 3.7 | Milan | 3.9 | |||
| Warsaw | 1.7 | Rotterdam | 3.3 | Athens | 3.9 | |||
| Budapest | 1.7 | Athens | 3.2 | Rome | 3.7 | |||
| Vienna | 1.7 | Naples | 2.9 | Hamburg | 3.1 | Madrid | Bucharest | Paris |
[edit] Migration
There is substantial movement of people within the Union i.e. internal migration; this occurs in strong patterns:
- from former industrialised areas in the Benelux, Britain and Germany to the Sun belts in Spain, Portugal, Southern France and Italy.
- from poorer eastern countries of the EU to the richer countries of the western EU (UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain)
The British emigration towards Southern Europe is of especial relevance. Citizens from the European Union make up a growing proportion of immigrants in Spain. They mainly come from countries like the UK and Germany, but the British case is of especial interest due to its magnitude. The British authorities estimate that the real population of UK citizens living in Spain is much bigger than Spanish official figures suggest, establishing them at about 1,000,000 and about 800,000 being permanent residents. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]
In fact, according to the Financial Times, Spain is the most favoured destination for West Europeans considering to move from their own country and seek jobs elsewhere in the EU. [8]
[edit] Immigration and emigration
There are currently more people immigrating into the European Union than there are emigrating from it. Immigration is a controversial issue in many member states such as Belgium, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
Spain in particular receives most of the immigrants coming illegally to Europe from Africa, probably due to its large coastal area and its proximity and borders to Morocco at Ceuta and Melilla; African immigrants try to enter the country by boat from Morocco or Senegal or by jumping the border fences. During the first weekend of September 2006, more than 1,300 illegal immigrants arrived on beaches in the Canary Islands [5] and estimations are that between 50,000 and 70,000 people enter illegally the European Union through Spanish borders or beaches. Border fences have been built at both the Ceuta and Melilla borders in an attempt to stop illegal entrance to the country. Illegal immigration is an issue in Spanish politics, and also a big human rights problem, since many people die during the journey. Spain has been Europe's largest absorber of migrants for the past six years, with its immigrant population increasing fourfold as 2.8 million people have arrived, mostly from Latin America. Spectacular growth in Spain's immigrant population comes as the country's economy has created more than half of all the new jobs in the European Union over the past five years[6].
In other countries, such as Ireland or Portugal, immigration is not seen as such a big issue, probably due to those countries' history of emigration. Spain also has past history of emigration too, especially in the 1960s during Franco's dictatorship, but the fact that it receives the most immigrants in all of the EU has made the problem grow more important in political debate.
The net immigration rate for the EU is ~ 1.5 migrants per 1,000 head of population (2006 estimates).[7] This figure is for migration into and out of the European Union, and therefore excludes any internal movements between member states.
[edit] Religion
The EU has significant religious diversity, mirroring its diverse history and culture. A nominal majority of the population professes Christianity, predominantly Roman Catholicism, Protestantism and Eastern Orthodoxy. Despite this, not all EU nations have Christian majorities (in the Czech Republic and Estonia, for example, a majority has no religious affiliation).
The recent influx of immigrants to the affluent EU nations has brought in various religions of their native homelands, including Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Bahá'í Faith and Sikhism. Judaism has had a long history in Europe and has coexisted with the native populations for centuries, despite centuries of discrimination against Jewish people and several attendant periods of persecution or genocide by European rulers. As the Christian churches have historically wielded much power in Europe, reaction to this has allowed secularism to plant deep roots on European soil which has contributed to the rise in atheism and agnosticism.
[edit] Language
The first official languages of each of the 27 member countries has the status of an official language of the European Union. In total there are 23, with Irish, Bulgarian and Romanian gaining official language status on January 1, 2007, when the last two countries joined the union.
English is the most spoken language in the EU, being spoken by around 51% of its population. This high proportion is because 38% of EU citizens speak it as a language other than their mother tongue (i.e. second or foreign language). German is the most spoken first language, spoken by more than 18% of the population.
[edit] Demographic future
The EU faces challenges in its demographic future. Most concerns centre around two related issues; an ageing population, and overall population decline.
The 2006 birth rate is 10 births per 1000 population, while the death rate is 10.1 deaths per 1000 people, making 2006 the first time in modern (non war) history where more people have died in Europe than were born. [8] The total fertility rate is an internationally low 1.47 children born per female, [9] where fertility rates above 2 per female are generally needed to maintain the current population. These figures mean the population of the EU is expected to decrease, while also suggesting the average age of European society will grow ever higher. While this decline in population could be halted by allowing substantial immigration into the EU, this remains a difficult solution that many refuse to accept. [10]
A low fertility rate means retirement age workers are not entirely replaced by younger workers joining the workforce. The EU faces a potential future dominated by an ever-increasing population of retired citizens, without enough younger workers to fund (via taxes) retirement programs or other state welfare agendas. [11]
A low fertility rate, without supplement from immigration, also suggests a declining overall EU population[12], which further suggests economic contraction or even a possible economic crisis. [13] While some media have noted the 'baby crisis' in the EU[14], and some governments have noted the problem[15], the UN and other multinational authorities continue to warn of an impending crisis.[16]
[edit] Ethnic composition
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[edit] Miscellaneous statistics
Age structure: (2006 est.)
- 0-14 years: 16.03% (male 37,608,010/female 35,632,351)
- 15-64 years: 67.17% (male 154,439,536/female 152,479,619)
- 65 years and over: 16.81% (male 31,515,921/female 45,277,821)
Birth rate: 10.5 births/1,000 population 2005
Death rate: 9.6 deaths/1,000 population 2005
Net migration rate: 3.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population 2005
Marriage rate: 4.8 marriages/1,000 population 2005
Divorce rate: 2.0 divorces/1,000 population 2005
Sex ratio: (2006 est.)
- at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
- under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
- 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
- 65 years and older: 0.69 male(s)/female
- total population: 0.96 male(s)/female
- total: 4.5 deaths/1,000 live births
- male: -
- female: -
- total population: 78.9 years
- male: 75.8 years
- female: 81.9 years
Total fertility rate: 1.52 children born/woman 2005
Live Births outside marriage: 33.0% of total live births 2005
[edit] See also
The demographics of the member states of the European Union:
[edit] References
- ^ "Total Population as of 01.01.06", EUROSTAT. Retrieved 12 November 2006.
- ^ "The EU's baby blues", BBC News, 27 March 2006. Retrieved 10 July 2006.
- ^ "France claims EU fertility crown", BBC News, 16 January 2007. Retrieved 10 February 2007.
- ^ Figures for France include the four overseas departments (French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Réunion) which are integral parts of the European Union, but do not include the overseas collectivities and territories, which are not part of the European Union. Figures for Metropolitan France proper are: population 61.9 million, area 551,695 km², and population density 114/km².
- ^ Canaries migrant surge tops 1,300 BBC News, 4 September 2006, accessed 4 September 2006
- ^ Spain attracts record levels of immigrants seeking jobs and sun, The Guardian, accessed July 26 2006
- ^ CIA - The World Factbook - European Union
- ^ CIA - The World Factbook
- ^ CIA - The World Factbook
- ^ Europe faces labor shortages as population ages - International Herald Tribune
- ^ Economic and Financial Affairs -The Economic Policy Committee- Ageing
- ^ Regional Policy Inforegio
- ^ Immigrants needed to save west from crisis | Special reports | Guardian Unlimited
- ^ BBC NEWS | Europe | The EU's baby blues
- ^ The EU's Window of Opportunity
- ^ UN
[edit] See also
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