EU population projected to fall to 445 million by 2050

The population of the European Union has reached its peak and is now expected to decline, European Commissioner Dubravka Šuica said.

Šuica noted that the EU’s current population is 450.6 million. That figure is projected to decrease to around 445 million by 2050 and further to 398.8 million by 2100.

The projected decline represents a decrease of 11.7%, bringing the bloc’s population back to levels last seen in the 1970s.

According to the commissioner, the demographic shift is expected to create significant challenges for the European economy, including labour shortages, increased pressure on public budgets, and growing demands on healthcare, education, and vocational training systems.

Šuica also highlighted the steady rise in life expectancy across the EU. By 2050, nearly one in three EU citizens is expected to be over the age of 65, compared with one in five today.

Average life expectancy could exceed 90 years for women and 86 years for men by 2100, she said. According to Šuica, a child born in the EU in 2023 can expect to live free from serious illness until the age of 75.3.

By Jeyhun Aghazada