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{{short description|Overview of ageing in Europe}} | |||
] by net ].]] | |||
{{Use British English|date=April 2012}} | |||
The '''aging of Europe''', also known as the '''greying of Europe''', is a social phenomenon in ] characterized by a decrease in ], an increase in ], and a higher ].<ref name=a>{{cite web|author=Giuseppe Carone and Declan Costello|year=2006|url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2006/09/carone.htm|title=Can Europe Afford to Grow Old?|format=HTML|publisher=International Monetary Fund Finance and Development magazine|accessdate-2007-12-15}}</ref> The population of ] as a percentage of the ] is rapidly decreasing and is expected to decline over the next forty years. The "greying" of Europe specifically refers to the increase in the percentage of Europe's elderly population relative to its ]. | |||
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}{{update|date=August 2022}} | |||
] | |||
] | |||
] | |||
The '''ageing of Europe''', also known as the '''greying of Europe''', is a demographic phenomenon in ] characterised by a decrease in ], a decrease in ], and a higher ] among European populations.<ref name=a>{{cite web|author=Giuseppe Carone and Declan Costello|year=2006|url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2006/09/carone.htm|title=Can Europe Afford to Grow Old?|publisher=International Monetary Fund Finance and Development magazine|access-date=15 December 2007}}</ref> Low birth rates and higher life expectancy contribute to the transformation of Europe's ] shape. The most significant change is the transition towards a much older population structure, resulting in a decrease in the proportion of the working age while the number of the retired population increases. The total number of the older population is projected to increase greatly within the coming decades, with rising proportions of the post-war ]s reaching retirement. This will cause a high burden on the working age population as they provide for the increasing number of the older population.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Population_structure_and_ageing|title=Population structure and ageing - Statistics Explained|website=Ec.europa.eu|access-date=28 December 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Iburg|first1=KM|last2=Charalampous|first2=P|last3=Allebeck|first3=P|date=2022-11-24|title=Burden of disease among older adults in Europe—trends in mortality and disability, 1990–2019|journal=European Journal of Public Health|volume=33 |issue=1 |pages=121–126 |language=en|doi=10.1093/eurpub/ckac160|pmid=36421036|pmc=9897992 |doi-access=free}}</ref> | |||
Throughout history many states have worked to keep high birth rates in order to have moderate taxes, more economic activity and more troops for their military.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.stratfor.com/analysis/europes-shrinking-aging-population|title=Europe's Shrinking, Aging Population|date=13 June 2012|website=Stratfor.com|language=en|access-date=2017-03-29}}</ref> | |||
Population ageing is observed in most European countries today. | |||
==Overall trends== | ==Overall trends== | ||
{{Main|Historical demography#Historical population of the world}} | {{Main|Historical demography#Historical population of the world|l1=Historical population of the world}} | ||
Giuseppe Carone and Declan Costello of the ] projected in September 2006 that the ratio of retirees to workers in Europe will double to 0.54 by 2050 (from four workers per retiree to two workers per retiree).<ref name=a/><ref name=c>{{cite web|url=http://goldsea.com/Asiagate/607/17europe.html|title=Europe's Aging Population Faces Social Problems Similar to Japan's|publisher=Goldsea Asian American Daily|access-date=15 December 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927210757/http://goldsea.com/Asiagate/607/17europe.html|archive-date=27 September 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> William H. Frey, an analyst for the ] ], predicts the ] in Europe will increase from 37.7 years old in 2003 to 52.3 years old by 2050 while the median age of Americans will rise to only 45.4 years old.{{Citation needed|date=October 2011}} | |||
Giuseppe Carone and Declan Costello of the ] projected in September 2006 that the ratio of retirees to workers in Europe will double to 54% by 2050 from four workers to two workers for every retiree.<ref name=a/> William H. Frey, an analyst for the ] ], predicts the ] in Europe will increase from 37.7 years old in 2003 to 52.3 years old by 2050 while the median age of Americans will rise to only 35.4 years old. The ] estimates only 39% of Europeans between the ages of 55 to 65 work. If Frey's prediction for Europe's declining median age is correct, productivity in Europe will radically decrease over the next four decades.<ref name=b>{{cite web|author=Richard Bernstein|year=2003|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/29/international/europe/29AGIN.html?ex=1372219200&en=48abc5aeb06b894c&ei=5007&partner=USERLAND|title=Aging Europe Finds Its Pension Is Running Out|format=HTML|publisher=The New York Times|accessdate=2007-12-15}}</ref> Austria's Social Affairs Minister painted a bleaker picture in 2006, saying the 55 to 64 year old age bracket in the ] will be larger than the 15 to 24 year old bracket by 2010. The Economic Policy Committee and the European Commission issued a report in 2006 estimating the working age population in the EU will decrease by 48 million, 16%, between 2010 and 2050, while the elderly population will increase by 58 million, 77%. By 2050 the ratio of Europe's working age to senior age population will decrease by 50%, two workers instead of four for every retiree.<ref name=c>{{cite web|author=|year=|url=http://goldsea.com/Asiagate/607/17europe.html|title=Europe's Aging Population Faces Social Problems Similar to Japan's|format=HTML|publisher=Goldsea Asian American Daily|accessdate=2007-12-15}}</ref> The ] estimates the ] will experience a 14% decrease in its workforce and a 7% decrease in its consumer populations by 2030.<ref name=d>{{cite web|author=Paul S. Hewitt|year=2002|url=http://www.globalaging.org/health/world/depopulationeuropejapan.htm|title=Depopulation and Ageing in Europe and Japan: The Hazardous Transition to a Labor Shortage Economy|format=HTML|publisher=International Politics and Society|accessdate=2007-12-15}}</ref> | |||
], the former ], stated in 2014 that by 2020 a quarter of the population of Europe will be 60 years or older. This shift in demographics will drastically change the economic, labor market, health care, and social security of Europe.<ref>European Commission (2014). . Retrieved 1 May 2017.</ref> | |||
The ] estimates 39% of Europeans between the ages of 55 to 65 work.<ref name=b>{{cite news|author=Richard Bernstein|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/29/international/europe/29AGIN.html?ex=1372219200&en=48abc5aeb06b894c&ei=5007&partner=USERLAND|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080308030015/http://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/29/international/europe/29AGIN.html?ex=1372219200&en=48abc5aeb06b894c&ei=5007&partner=USERLAND|url-status=dead|archive-date=8 March 2008|title=Aging Europe Finds Its Pension Is Running Out|work=The New York Times|access-date=15 December 2007 | date=29 June 2003}}</ref> | |||
]'s Social Affairs Minister said in 2006 that, by 2010, the 55- to 64-year-old age bracket in the ] would be larger than the 15- to 24-year-old bracket. The Economic Policy Committee and the European Commission issued a report in 2006 estimating the working age population in the EU will decrease by 48 million, a 16% reduction, between 2010 and 2050, while the elderly population will increase by 58 million, a gain of 77%.{{Citation needed|date=October 2011}} | |||
In 2002, the ] estimates the ] will experience a 14% decrease in its workforce and a 7% decrease in its consumer populations by 2030.<ref name=d>{{cite web|author=Paul S. Hewitt |year=2002 |url=http://www.globalaging.org/health/world/depopulationeuropejapan.htm |title=Depopulation and Aging in Europe and Japan: The Hazardous Transition to a Labor Shortage Economy |publisher=International Politics and Society |access-date=15 December 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071227192352/http://www.globalaging.org/health/world/depopulationeuropejapan.htm |archive-date=27 December 2007 |url-status=usurped }}</ref> | |||
The feminisation of old age is reflected by an increasing number of females age 65 and older. The longer life span is prevalent amongst women across the world.<ref name="1944- 2012">{{Cite book|title=Population : an introduction to concepts and issues|last=Weeks|first=John Robert|date=2012|publisher=Wadsworth Cengage learning|isbn=9781111185978|edition=11th|location=Belmont, CA|oclc=697596943}}</ref> In Europe the life expectancy for women is 81 years old, while men's life expectancy is only 74 years old, which gives 7 years' difference.<ref name="UN 2017">{{cite web|url=http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/publications/|title=World Population Ageing 2017|website=United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2017)|access-date=26 March 2018}}</ref> Life expectancy at age 60 is four years longer for women in comparison to men. Projections show additional 24 years for females and 20 years for males in Europe.<ref name="UN 2017"/> | |||
==Causes== | |||
{{main|Population ageing}} | |||
Population ageing in Europe is caused primarily by three factors: declining ], increased life expectancy, and migration.<ref name="UN 2017"/> The causes of population ageing vary among countries. | |||
=== Fertility === | |||
] | |||
The high number of people aged 60 and older in Europe is the result of high fertility rates which occurred 1950–1960.<ref name="UN 2017"/> The period after the end of ] was characterised by good social and economic status of the population in the child-bearing age and resulted in a "baby boom".<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Artzrouni|first1=M|last2=Easterlin|first2=R|date=1982|title=Birth History, Age Structure, and Post World War II Fertility in Ten Developed Countries: An Exploratory Empirical Analysis|journal=Genus|volume=38|issue=3–4|pages=81–99|pmid=12312903}}</ref> | |||
Current low fertility levels also contribute to the ageing of Europe.<ref name="UN 2017"/> As the fertility levels drop, the age structure of the population changes, and the number of the younger groups decrease in relation to the older age groups.<ref name="UN 2017"/> Europe's fertility rates have been less than the 2.1 children per woman (standard) replacement level and are projected to remain below the replacement level in the future.<ref name="stratfor.com22">{{cite web|url=https://www.stratfor.com/analysis/europes-shrinking-aging-population|title=Europe's Shrinking, Aging Population|website=Stratfor.com|access-date=28 December 2017}}</ref> | |||
=== Mortality === | |||
People are living longer with projections of average ] reaching 84.6 years for men and 89.1 for women by 2060, an increase of 7.9 years of life for men and 6.6 years of life for women compared to 2010.<ref name="stratfor.com22"/> The longer life span results in the changing age structure in the population by increasing the numbers of people in the older age group.<ref name="UN 2017"/> The average life expectancy of the older population will depend on the progress in medicine to prevent the diseases which are the leading causes of death.<ref name="UN 2017"/> Among the top three causes of death are ], ] and ].<ref name="UN 2017"/> | |||
=== Migration === | |||
People ] and ] from the country will cause fluctuations, in particular, in the size of the working age group of the population.<ref name="1944- 2012"/> If there are high numbers of young immigrants coming to the country it will result in a decrease of the proportion of the ageing population.<ref name="UN 2017"/> In the following countries immigration is projected to slow the population ageing: Luxembourg, Switzerland, Norway, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Belgium, Denmark, Austria and United Kingdom.<ref name="UN 2017"/> Emigration would cause the opposite effect on population ageing by having people in the working age leaving the country, and accelerating the ageing of the population as a result.<ref name="UN 2017"/> Increase of the ageing population caused by emigration is projected to occur in Latvia.<ref name="UN 2017"/> | |||
==Effects== | |||
] | |||
Populations in Europe react in different ways to demographic changes, depending on what is happening in their countries. Both ageing, emigration and immigration can cause anxiety in populations of individual countries.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2019/03/19/europeans-credit-eu-with-promoting-peace-and-prosperity-but-say-brussels-is-out-of-touch-with-its-citizens/ | title=Europeans Credit EU with Promoting Peace and Prosperity, but Say Brussels is Out of Touch with Its Citizens | date=19 March 2019 }}</ref> Demographic studies and resultant reports conducted by the ]<ref>Eurostat, ''Population Projections'', European Commission, 2012</ref> point to the declining ] of the population of the native European peoples, which would need to be reversed from its present level of about 1.4 in order to preclude a population decline of the native European peoples by nearly half in each ], back to a replacement level of 2.1. Some have claimed that in order to compensate, it is necessary to allow migrants to settle in Europe in order to prevent labour ]s. It has been argued that such immigration leads to ]s, such as the ].<ref>Steyn, Mark (2006) ''America Alone: The End of the World As We Know It'' Washington D.C., Regnery Publishing. On pages 10 and 54, birth rates among people of European ancestry populations in various nations are indicated that show all populations of European ancestry are reproducing at an average birth rate of only about 1.4, almost half the replacement rate of 2.1, and thus their population has a negative (declining) growth rate that will decline by almost half every generation.</ref><ref name="nytimes.com2"> ''New York Times Magazine'' Sunday, 29 June 2008</ref><ref>Himmelfarb, Milton, and Victor Baras (eds). 1978. Zero Population Growth-For Whom?: differential fertility and minority group survival. Westport, CT: Praeger; Leuprecht, C. 2011. "'Deter or Engage?:Demographic Determinants of Bargains in Ethno-Nationalist Conflicts'." in {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170226182539/http://www.paradigmpublishers.com/books/BookDetail.aspx?productID=280257 |date=26 February 2017 }}</ref> | |||
Long-term decreasing rates in fertility and increasing life expectancy could have damaging consequences for almost every European nation. These demographic trends provoked debate over the best policies that can reverse these trends and lessen their consequences. ], an independent not-for-profit research institute, was able to collect these policies through research and analysis. There were three broad policy approaches that were generated from the debate. The first policy is to encourage childbearing among younger couples that involves marriage and cohabitation. The second policy states that there should be an increase in the immigration of working-age people. Thirdly, there should be an improvement of social policy in general, to mitigate negative consequences of these trends. The research intends to examine the relationship between demographic trends and European government policies and determine which policies can reduce the consequences of low fertility and population ageing.<ref name="Low Fertility and Population Ageing">{{Cite journal|last=Grant|first=Jonathan|date=2004-01-01|title=Low Fertility and Population Ageing |url=http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/MG206.html|pages=172}}</ref> | |||
==Countries== | |||
=== Belgium === | |||
{{Main|Demographics of Belgium}} | |||
] | |||
The ]'s (IMF) High Council of Finance's (HCF) Study Committee on Ageing (SCA) predicted in 2007 that Belgium's population will increase by 5% by 2050 due to immigration, a higher fertility rate, and longer life expectancy. However, the IMF's study indicates Belgium's elderly population will increase by over 25% to over 63% of the country's overall population.{{Citation needed|date=October 2011}} | |||
The Belgian government spent 9.1% of its GDP on pensions and 7.1% on health care expenses in 2005. By 2050 total social spending is expected to increase by 5.8%, assuming there is no change in the age of retirement. Most of this higher social spending comes from pension and health care, rising by 3.9% to 13.0% of GDP and 3.7% to 10.8% of GDP, respectively.{{Citation needed|date=October 2011}} | |||
The decline in the workforce will partly compensate by lowering unemployment which will in turn lower the cost of childcare.<ref name="j">{{cite web|author=Rodolfo Luzio and Jianping Zhou|year=2007|url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/scr/2007/cr0788.pdf|title=March 2007, IMF Country Report No. 07/88, Belgium: Selected Issues|publisher=International Monetary Fund|access-date=15 December 2007}}</ref> The IMF also predicts that by 2050 the percentage of Belgian population over the age of 65 will increase from 16% to 25%.<ref name="k">{{cite web|author=Rudolf Luzio|year=2007|url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/survey/so/2007/CAR0531A.htm|title=Belgium: Time to Shift to Higher Gear|publisher=International Monetary Fund|access-date=15 December 2007}}</ref> | |||
In 2017 24.6% of the population of Belgium was over 60 years old, and it is projected to increase to 32.4% by the year 2050.<ref name="UN 2017"/> The life expectancy at birth in 2010–2015 is projected to be 83 years for females and 78 years for males.<ref name="UN 2017"/> | |||
===Finland=== | |||
{{Main|Demographics of Finland}} | |||
] | |||
Finland has one of the oldest populations of Europe. The so-called baby boomer generation born between 1945 and 1949 has already retired, and the share of over-65-year-olds of the population will increase from 20 percent in late 2010s to 26 percent by 2030 and to 29 percent by 2060.<ref name="thl.fi">{{cite web|author=THL.fi|year=2018|url=https://thl.fi/en/web/ageing/ageing-policy#Finland_is_rapidly_ageing|title=Ageing Policy|publisher=THL.fi|access-date=29 October 2020}}</ref> In comparison to its Nordic neighbours, a low share of Finnish people older than 61 years are still working. The government has aimed to increase their share in work life following the OECD recommendations.<ref name="OECD">{{cite web|author=OECD|year=2020|url=https://www.oecd.org/finland/oecdrecommendsfinlandtodomoretohelpolderpeoplestayinwork.htm|title=OECD recommends Finland to do more to help older people stay in work|publisher=OECD|access-date=29 October 2020}}</ref> The increasing share of old people is predicted to burden the Finnish social welfare and pension system heavily in the following decades, increasing pressure to raise taxes. The collapse in fertility rates from 1.81 to just 1.34 in Finland during 2010s has made the future forecasts even more severe, as the share of working aged population will decrease by hundreds of thousands by 2050s.<ref name="Schleutker">{{cite web|author=Shleutker, Elina|year=2013|url=https://www.julkari.fi/bitstream/handle/10024/110779/schleutker.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y|title=Väestön ikääntyminen ja hyvinvointivaltio Mitä vaihtoehtoja meillä on?|publisher=Julkari.fi|access-date=29 October 2020}}</ref> Also regional distribution of older people is uneven: the peripheric Finnish provinces will have a much higher share of elderly people than growing regions such as ] and ]. | |||
According to 2019 estimate, the population of Finland will start decreasing by 2031, and in 2050 it will be some 100.000 lower than in 2019, given that migration will remain stable.<ref name="Statistics Finland">{{cite web|author=Statistics Finland|year=2019|url=https://www.stat.fi/til/vaenn/2019/vaenn_2019_2019-09-30_tie_001_en.html|title=The decline in the birth rate is reflected in the population development of areas|publisher=Statistics Finland|access-date=29 October 2020}}</ref> | |||
] ] warned the continent will die if European society accepts abortion and rejects ], trends he asserted to personal selfishness and inactivity. He lamented the "child-poor" situation and defended priests' ] in a speech he gave in ], ] on ], 2007.<ref name=e>{{cite web|author=Ian Fisher|year=2007|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/08/world/europe/08pope.html?_r=1&em&ex=1189310400&en=4bbcc7deb4cc5da0&ei=5087%0A&oref=slogin|title=Pope Vigorously Defends Catholicism in Austria and Raises Concerns on Europe's Future|format=HTML|publisher=The New York Times|accessdate=2007-12-15}}</ref><ref name=f>{{cite web|author=|year=2007|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/09/09/2027802.htm|title=Pope slams 'child-poor' Europe|format=HTML|publisher=ABC News|accessdate=2007-12-15}}</ref> | |||
==France== | ===France=== | ||
{{Main|Demographics of France}} | {{Main|Demographics of France}} | ||
] | |||
France overtook ] as the European Union member state with the highest birth-rate in 2007.<ref name=g>{{cite web|author=Caroline Wyatt|year=2007|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6268251.stm|title=France claims EU fertility crown|format=HTML|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=2007-12-15}}</ref> If the projected birth rates continue, France will have the largest population in the ] by 2050, with 75 million citizens.<ref name=h>{{cite web|author=|year=2005|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/05/13/news/france.php|title=France has a baby boom|format=HTML|publisher=International Herald Tribune|accessdate=2007-12-15}}</ref> | |||
France overtook Ireland as the European Union member state with the highest birth rate in 2007.<ref name="g2">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6268251.stm|title=France claims EU fertility crown|author=Caroline Wyatt|date=16 January 2007|access-date=15 December 2007|work=BBC News|author-link=Caroline Wyatt}}</ref> Projected birth rates indicate that France will have the largest population in the EU by 2050, with 75 million citizens, overtaking Germany,<ref name="h2">{{cite web|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/05/13/news/france.php|title=France has a baby boom|year=2005|work=International Herald Tribune|access-date=15 December 2007}}</ref> but only the second largest in Europe, with the UK having a larger estimated population. In 2011, France was the only European Union member with a fertility rate at replacement level, with an average rate of 2.08 children per woman while Ireland's fertility rate declined to 2.01 children per woman, slightly below replacement level.<ref name="CIA2">{{cite web|url=https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2127rank.html|title=The World Factbook 2009|year=2009|publisher=Central Intelligence Agency|location=Washington DC|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091028133713/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2127rank.html|archive-date=28 October 2009 |url-status=dead|access-date=7 December 2009}}</ref> The reason for an increase in children is due to the government family benefits that are provided to these families.{{Citation needed|date=September 2024}} They receive an allowance based on income and how many children they have in the household.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cleiss.fr/docs/regimes/regime_france/an_4.html|title=The French Social Security System|website=Cleiss.fr|archive-url=https://archive.today/r3Pbr?url=http://www.cleiss.fr/docs/regimes/regime_france/an_4.html|archive-date=27 June 2017|url-status=live|access-date=9 May 2017}}</ref> | |||
The total fertility rate (TFR) fell to 1.99 children per woman in 2013 from 2.01 in 2012 and 2.03 in 2010. A rate of 2.1 children per woman is considered necessary to keep the population growing excluding migration.<ref>14 Jan 2014 (Reuters) "French birth rate falls below two children per woman"</ref> | |||
==United Kingdom== | |||
{{Main|Demography of the United Kingdom}} | |||
The ] predicts that by the percentage of the population over the age of 60 will rise to 26% by 2020 and 38% by 2050. More than 12 million Britons do not have occupational ]s, although nearly all of the population is supported under the ] scheme.<ref name=i>{{cite web|author=Sarah Toyne|year=2002|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/2248531.stm|title=Ageing: Europe's growing problem|format=HTML|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=2007-12-15}}</ref> | |||
For the year 2017 the percentage of population aged 60 or older was 25.7%, and projected to increase to 32.2% by 2050.<ref name="UN 2017"/> The life expectancy at birth in 2010–2015 is projected to be 85 years for females and 79 years for males.<ref name="UN 2017"/> | |||
==Belgium== | |||
{{Main|Demography of Belgium}} | |||
The ]'s (IMF) High Council of Finance's (HCF) Study Committee on Aging (SCA) predicted in 2007 that ]'s population will increase by 5% by 2050 due to immigration, a higher fertility rate, and longer life expectancy. However, the IMF's study indicates Belgium's elderly population will increase by over 63% to over 25% of the country's overall population. The Belgian government spent 9.1% of its ] on pensions and 7.1% on health care expenses in 2005. By 2050 total social spending is expected to increase by 5.8%, assuming there is no change in the age of retirement. Most of this higher social spending comes from pension and health care, rising by 3.9% to 13.0% of GDP and 3.7% to 10.8% of GDP respectively. The decline in the workforce will partly compensate by lowering unemployment which will in turn lower the cost of childcare.<ref name=j>{{cite web|author=Rodolfo Luzio and Jianping Zhou|year=2007|url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/scr/2007/cr0788.pdf|title=March 2007, IMF Country Report No. 07/88, Belgium: Selected Issues|format=HTML|publisher=International Monetary Fund|accessdate=2007-12-15}}</ref> The IMF also predicts that by 2050 the percentage of Belgian's population over the age of 65 will increase from 16% to 25%.<ref name=k>{{cite web|author=Rudolf Luzio|year=2007|url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/survey/so/2007/CAR0531A.htm|title=Belgium: Time to Shift to Higher Gear|format=HTML|publisher=International Monetary Fund|accessdate=2007-12-15}}</ref> | |||
== |
===Germany=== | ||
{{Main|Germans|Demographics of Germany|Social issues in Germany}} | |||
{{Main|Demography of Italy}} | |||
] will need to raise its retirement age to 77 or admit 2.2 million immigrants annually to maintain its worker to retiree ratio.<ref name=m>{{cite web|author=Unknown|year=2000|url=http://www.globalaging.org/health/world/overall.htm|title=Aging Populations in Europe, Japan, Korea, Require Action|format=HTML|publisher=India Times|accessdate=2007-12-15}}</ref> About 25% of Italian women do not have children while another 25% only have one child. The region of ] in northwestern Italy now has the highest ratio of elderly to youth in the world. 10% of Liguria's schools closed in the ]. The city of ], one of Italy's largest and capital of Liguria, is declining faster than most European cities with a death rate of 13.7 deaths per 1,000 people, almost twice the birth rate, 7.7 births per 1,000 people, ]. The Italian government has tried to limit and reverse the trend by offering financial incentives to couples who have children, and by increasing ]. The ] established a Ministry of Family, headed by ], to encourage population growth. According to Bindi, the government will increase the payment that childbearing couples receive to €2,500 and will provide state-funded day care, transportation to school and books. While ] has remain stagnant, immigration has minimized the drop in the ].<ref name=n>{{cite web|author=|year=2006|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/09/04/news/birth2.php|title=Empty playgrounds in an aging Italy|format=HTML|publisher=International Herald Tribune|accessdate=2007-12-15}}</ref> | |||
With over 83 million inhabitants in September 2019,<ref name="population2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.destatis.de/DE/Themen/Gesellschaft-Umwelt/Bevoelkerung/Bevoelkerungsstand/Tabellen/zensus-geschlecht-staatsangehoerigkeit-2019.html|title = Bevölkerung nach Nationalität und Geschlecht}}</ref> Germany is the most populous country in the European Union. However, its fertility rate of 1.596 children per woman in 2020 is very low,<ref name="CIA3">{{cite web|title=Germany Fertility Rate 1950-2020|url=https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/DEU/germany/fertility-rate|year=2009|publisher=Central Intelligence Agency|location=Washington DC|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091028133713/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2127rank.html|archive-date=28 October 2009|access-date=7 December 2009}}</ref> and the federal statistics office estimates the population will shrink to between 65 and 70 million by 2060 (65 million assuming a net migration of +100,000 per year; 70 million assuming a net migration of +200,000 per year).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.destatis.de/jetspeed/portal/cms/Sites/destatis/Internet/DE/Presse/pm/2009/11/PD09__435__12411,templateId=renderPrint.psml|title=Im Jahr 2060 wird jeder Siebente 80 Jahre oder älter sein|author=Destatis|author-link=Federal Statistical Office of Germany|language=de|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100107001648/http://www.destatis.de/jetspeed/portal/cms/Sites/destatis/Internet/DE/Presse/pm/2009/11/PD09__435__12411%2CtemplateId%3DrenderPrint.psml|archive-date=7 January 2010|url-status=live|access-date=31 January 2010}}</ref> With ] continuously exceeding low-level ]s, Germany is one of a few countries for which the ] would require a fifth stage in order to capture its demographic development.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://geographyfieldwork.com/DemographicTransition.htm|title=Demographic Transition Model|date=27 September 2009|publisher=Barcelona Field Studies Centre|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527180111/http://geographyfieldwork.com/DemographicTransition.htm|archive-date=27 May 2010 |url-status=live|access-date=23 May 2010}}</ref> In Germany, the population in some regions, especially the former Communist ], is undergoing a current decline and depopulation. The ] came up with comprehensive plans to tear down numerous buildings and replace them with parks in various cities<ref name="nytimes.com2"/> and the ] developed a plan to reduce at great expense the width of sewer pipes in various cities. The southern states, however, have net gain in population and Germany as the economic powerhouse of the EU is attracting immigrants overall. | |||
Italy, a nation which produced more ] than ] for years, is struggling with its new-found status as a nation of immigration. Concern over rising rates of criminal activity and terrorism has fueled support for ], a ] political party in northern Italy where most of Italy's immigrants reside. Tracy Wilkinson of the '']'' has accused the Northern League of promoting ] policies. | |||
In 2017 28.0% of the population of Germany was over 60 years old, and it is projected to increase to 37.6% by the year 2050.<ref name="UN 2017"/> The life expectancy at birth in 2010–2015 is projected to be 83 years for females and 78 years for males.<ref name="UN 2017"/> | |||
More than 30% of Italian males over the age of 30 live in homes owned by their parents, in part because the ] in Italy rose after the introduction of the ]. ], Italy's Economy Minister, proposed granting a ], worth €1,000, to Italians between the ages of 20 and 40 who rent apartments. He publicized the idea during a ] hearing on the government's budget for 2008, referring to the young men as "''bamboccioni''," big babies. ] leader Guglielmo Epifani and ] Aldo Nove said Padoa-Schioppa's tax break does not go far enough. Nove, author of ''My Name is Roberta, I'm 40 years old and earn 250 euros a month'', said that in 1978 a tenant spent about 25% of his salary on housing. Now renting an apartment exceeds the salary of a young worker. "What else is there to say?"<ref name=q>{{cite web|author=Deepa Babington|year=2007|url=http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20071005-0655-italy-babies-.html|title=Uproar over tax break for Italy's 'big babies'|format=HTML|publisher=SignonSanDiego|accessdate=2007-12-22}}</ref> Comedian and activist ] published on his ] a letter from one of these young men living with their parents, where he detailed how it is economically impossible for him to move to any available apartment, because of low wages and high rents<ref>, from {{en icon}}</ref>. | |||
<gallery mode="packed" heights="220"> | |||
==Eastern Europe== | |||
File:Population of German territories 1800 - 2000.JPG|Population of German territories 1800–2000 and immigrant population 1975–2000 | |||
{{Main|Demographics of Georgia|Demographics of Ukraine}} | |||
File:Germany population pyramid.svg|Population pyramid of Germany at the end of 2020 | |||
The ] issued a report on ], ], "From Red To Grey: 'The Third Transition' of Aging Populations In ] and the Former ]," predicting that between 2007 and 2027 the populations of ] and ] will decrease by 17% and 24% respectively.<ref name=r>{{cite web|author=|year=2007|url=http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2007/6/0E4DF063-3807-420D-B551-B3D07F7AA84C.html|title=East: 'If Countries Don't Act Now, It's Going To Be Too Late'|format=HTML|publisher=RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty|accessdate=2007-12-22}}</ref> The ] estimates the population of 65 or older citizens in ] and ] will increase from 13% to 21% and 16% to 24% respectively between 2005 and 2025.<ref name=s>{{cite web|author=|year=|url=http://siteresources.worldbank.org/ECAEXT/Resources/publications/454763-1181939083693/chaw_045-072_ch01.pdf|title=The Demographic Transition in Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union|format=HTML|publisher=World Bank|accessdate=2007-12-22}}</ref> | |||
</gallery> | |||
== |
===Italy=== | ||
{{Main|Demographics of |
{{Main|Demographics of Italy}} | ||
] | |||
]'s population census of 1994 found that 13.1% of the population was above the age of 65. Average life expectancy for Portuguese increased by eight years between the 1980s and the 2000s. In the 1960s life expectancy for men ranked comparatively low in relation to other Western European nations, with 61.2 years for men and 77.5 years for women. In 1999 demographers predicted the percentage of elderly Portuguese would increase to 16.2% and 17.6% in 2010.<ref name=aie>{{cite book|last=Schroots|first=J. J. F.|coauthors=Rocío Fernández Ballesteros, Georg Rudinger|year=1999|title=Aging in Europe|pages=101-102}}</ref> | |||
Under current fertility rates, Italy will need to raise its retirement age to 77 or admit 2.2 million immigrants annually to maintain its worker to retiree ratio.<ref name="m2">{{cite web|url=http://www.globalaging.org/health/world/overall.htm|title=Aging Populations in Europe, Japan, Korea, Require Action|author=Unknown|year=2000|work=The Times of India|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071201192143/http://www.globalaging.org/health/world/overall.htm|archive-date=1 December 2007|url-status=usurped|access-date=15 December 2007}}</ref> About 25% of Italian women do not have children while another 25% only have one child. | |||
The region of ] in northwestern Italy now has the highest ratio of elderly to youth in the world. Ten percent of ]'s schools closed in the first decade of the 21st century. The city of ], one of Italy's largest and the capital of Liguria, is declining faster than most European cities with a death rate of 13.7 deaths per 1,000 people, almost twice the birth rate, 7.7 births per 1,000 people, {{As of|2005|lc=on}}.{{Citation needed|date=October 2011}} | |||
==Russia== | |||
{{Main|Demographics of Russia}} | |||
]; Number of inhabitants in millions]] | |||
The population of ] decreased from its peak, at 148,689,000, in ], to about 143 million people in ], a 4% decline. The ] predicts the population will decrease to 111 million by 2050, 32 million people less, a 22% decline.<ref name=s/> The ] similarly warned that the population could decline by one third by mid-century.<ref name=t>{{cite web|author=Steven Eke|year=2007|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4125072.stm|title=Russia's population falling fast|format=HTML|publisher=BBC News|accessdate=2007-12-22}}</ref> Population decline in Russia is compounded by large-scale emigration that began following the ], and a decrease in health care quality due to lacking funds.<ref> 01 May 2006 </ref><ref name=u>{{cite web|author=Masha Stromova|year=2007|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/09/12/world/main3253182.shtml|title=Have Sex, Make A Baby, Win A Car?|format=HTML|publisher=CBS News|accessdate=2007-12-22}}</ref> Lev Gudkov, a demographer with the Russian Center for Public Opinion Research, estimated in 2002 that over the next fifty years Russia's population may decrease by 72 million people, a 50% decline, with one retiree for every worker, describing parts of ] and the ] as depopulated "deserts". A commentary published by ] suggested that those Russian sociologists making the gloomiest predictions were working for western organizations committed to destroying Russia.<ref> ] 7 June 2006</ref> ] have widely blamed the problem on the presence of women in the workplace, arguing working women lower Russia's fertility rate.<ref name=v>{{cite web|author=Fred Weir|year=2002|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0418/p06s02-woeu.html|title=Russia's population decline spells trouble|format=HTML|publisher=The Christian Science Monitor|accessdate=2007-12-22}}</ref> | |||
The Italian government has tried to limit and reverse the trend by offering financial incentives to couples who have children, and by increasing immigration. While ] has remained stagnant, immigration has minimised the drop in the ].<ref name="n2">{{cite web|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/09/04/news/birth2.php|title=Empty playgrounds in an aging Italy|year=2006|work=International Herald Tribune|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071030134620/http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/09/04/news/birth2.php|archive-date=30 October 2007 |url-status=live|access-date=15 December 2007}}</ref> | |||
In 2006, a national programme was developed to reverse the trend by 2020. A new study published in 2007 shows that the rate of population decrease has slowed: According to the study, the birth:death ratio dropped from 1:5 to 1:3, thus, if the net decrease in January-August 2006 was 408,200 people, in the same period during 2007 it was 196,600. The number of Russians ] has halved since the ] following the disintegration of the ], and the improving economy has had a positive impact on the country's low birth-rate, as it rose from its lowest point of 8.27 births per 1000 people in 1999 to 10.7 per 1000 in the first half of 2007.<ref name = rg>Российская газета. Где в России жить хорошо - Основные показатели социально-экономического положения субъектов Российской Федерации в I полугодии 2007 года. (''], Rates of the socio-economic conditions of the regions of Russian Federation in the first half of 2007''), 19.09.2007</ref> | |||
Russian Ministry of Economic Development hopes that by 2020 the population will stabilize at 138-139 million, and that by 2025 it will begin to increase again to its present day status of 142-145, also raising the life expectancy to 75 years.<ref> Newsru, ''Население России за пять лет уменьшилось на 3,2 миллиона до 142 миллионов человек'', 19.Oct.2007 same date </ref> | |||
In 2017 29.4% of the population of Italy was over 60 years old, and it is projected to increase to 40.3% by the year 2050.<ref name="UN 2017"/> The life expectancy at birth in 2010–2015 is projected to be 85 years for females and 80 years for males.<ref name="UN 2017"/> | |||
The two leading ] in Russia are ] and ], accounting for about 52% of all deaths.<ref> ]</ref> While ]-related deaths decreased in ], ], and ] between 1965 and 2001, in Russia CVD deaths increased by 25% for women and 65% for men. For every 100 births in Italy in 2004 there were 103 deaths. In Russia for every 100 births there were 170 deaths. The percentage of ], married couples rose to 13% in the ], partially due to poorly performed ]s. According to expert Murray Feshbach 10-20% of women who have abortions in Russia are made infertile.<ref name=w>{{cite web|author=Nicholas Eberstadt|year=2004|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A38176-2004Feb12?language=printer|title=The Emptying of Russia|format=HTML|publisher=The Washington Post|accessdate=2007-12-22}}</ref> | |||
===Poland=== | |||
Provincial governments have begun offering special incentives to couples who procreate. In 2005 Sergei Morozov, the Governor of ], made ] a provincial holiday, the "Day of Conception," on which couples are given half of the work day off to copulate. Mothers who give birth on ], Russia's national day, are rewarded with money and expensive consumer items. In the first round of the competition 311 women participated and 46 babies were born on the following September 12. Over 500 women participated in the second round in 2006 and 78 gave birth. The province's birth rate rose 4.5% between 2006 and 2007.<ref name=u/> | |||
{{Main|Demographics of Poland}} | |||
] | |||
The economic effects of demographic shifts will be less concerning in Poland than in its neighboring countries even though it is expected to lose 15 percent of its population by mid-century.<ref name="stratfor.com22"/> It is projected that by 2050 population of Poland will decrease to 32 million due to the emigration and low birth rates. The fertility rates have dropped from 3.7 children per woman in 1950 to 1.32 children per woman in 2014. This drastic drop would affect the economy of Poland.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Leszko|first1=Magdalena|last2=Zając-Lamparska|first2=Ludmila|last3=Trempala|first3=Janusz|date=2015-10-01|title=Aging in Poland|journal=The Gerontologist|language=en|volume=55|issue=5|pages=707–715|doi=10.1093/geront/gnu171|pmid=26315315|issn=0016-9013|doi-access=free}}</ref> | |||
In an effort to reverse declining birth rates, the Polish government in 2016 introduced a policy of paying 500 ] (about US$128) per month to families for every child below the age of 18 after the first child.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-11-09/poland-s-taking-a-stand-against-europe-s-demographic-decline|title=Poland's Taking a Stand Against Europe's Demographic Decline|date=2016-11-09|work=Bloomberg.com|access-date=2017-05-05}}</ref> The policy has since then been extended to the first child as well. | |||
Large-scale ] is suggested as a solution to declining workforces in western nations, but would be unacceptable to most Russians. Organizations like the ] and the ] have called on the Russian government to take the problem more seriously, stressing that a number of simple measures such as raising the price of ] or forcing people to wear ] might make a lasting difference.<ref name=t/> ] said in a state of the nation address that "no sort of immigration will solve Russia's demographic problem". Yevgeny Krasinyev, head of migration studies at the state-run Institute of Social and Economic Population Studies in Moscow, said Russia should only accept immigrants from the ], a view echoed by Alexander Belyakov, the head of the ]'s Resources Committee. However, despite the governments reluctance to openly welcome more immigrants into the country, ] in Russia grew by 50.2% in ].<ref>http://www.gks.ru/bgd/free/b08_00/IssWWW.exe/Stg/d01/7-0.htm</ref> Thousands of migrant workers from ], ], and the rest of the CIS have also entered Russia illegally, working but avoiding taxes.<ref name=v/> There are an estimated 10 million illegal immigrants from the ] states in Russia.<ref>{{cite web|title=Russia cracking down on illegal migrants|publisher=International Herald Tribune|date=January 15, 2007|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/01/15/news/migrate.php|accessdate =}}</ref> | |||
{{Clear}} | |||
==Spain== | |||
===Portugal=== | |||
{{Main|Demographics of Portugal}} | |||
] | |||
Portugal's population census of 1994 found that 13.1% of the population was above the age of 65. Average life expectancy for Portuguese increased by eight years between the 1980s and the first decade of the 21st century.<ref name="pdata2">{{cite web|url=http://www.pordata.pt/Portugal/Esperanca+de+vida+a+nascenca+total+e+por+sexo-418|title=Esperança de vida à nascença por sexo|work=Pordata|access-date=23 February 2011}}</ref> In 2017 the population of the people aged 60 and more was 27.9%, with an estimate to increase in 2050 to 41.7%.<ref name="UN 2017"/> The life expectancy at birth in 2010–2015 is projected to be 83 years for females and 77 years for males.<ref name="UN 2017"/> | |||
In the 1960s life expectancy for men ranked comparatively low in relation to other Western European nations, with 61.2 years for men and 67.5 years for women. As of 2006, the average for both sexes was at 77.7 years. In 1999 demographers predicted the percentage of elderly Portuguese would increase to 16.2% and 17.6% in 2010.<ref name="aie2">{{cite book|title=Aging in Europe|last=Schroots|first=J. J. F.|author2=Rocío Fernández Ballesteros|author3=Georg Rudinger|year=1999|pages=101–102}}</ref> | |||
Recent studies in the newspaper ''Público'' showed that the population may shrink to 7.5 million (−29% of the current population, −0.7% of average populational growth per year) in 2050, if the fertility rate continues at 1.45 children per woman; taking into account the almost stationary emigration due to the economic crisis.{{Citation needed|date=October 2011}} In 2011, Portugal's fertility rate reached 1.51 children per woman, stemming the decline in the nation's fertility rate, although it is still below replacement level.<ref name="CIA3" /> | |||
===Spain=== | |||
{{Main|Demographics of Spain}} | {{Main|Demographics of Spain}} | ||
] | |||
In ], Spain's TFR, 2.9 children per woman, ranked second in Western Europe after ]'s 3.9 children per woman. By 1993 Spanish fertility declined to 1.26 children per woman, the second lowest after ]. In 1999, Rocío Fernández-Ballesteros, Juan Díez-Nicolás, and Antonio Ruiz-Torres of Autónoma University in ] published a study on Spain's demography, predicting ] of 77.7 for males and 83.8 for females by 2020.<ref name=spain>{{cite book|last=Schroots|first=J. J. F.|coauthors=Rocío Fernández Ballesteros, Georg Rudinger|year=1999|title=Aging in Europe|pages=107-108}}</ref> Arup Banerji and economist Mukesh Chawla of the ] predicted in July 2007 that half of Spain's population will be older than 55 by ], giving Spain the highest median age of any nation in the world.<ref name=banerji>{{cite web|author=|year=2007|url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/06/20/america/NA-GEN-US-Aging-Population.php|title=Study finds that Eastern Europe, former Soviet republics aging fastest of world countries|format=HTML|publisher=International Herald Tribune|accessdate=2007-12-26}}</ref> | |||
In 1970, Spain's TFR of 2.9 children per woman ranked second in ] after ]'s rate of 3.9. By 1993 Spanish fertility declined to 1.26 children per woman, the second-lowest after Italy.{{Citation needed|date=October 2011}} | |||
In recent years, Spain's fertility rate has been more constant ranging from 1.23 (in 2000 and 2020) to 1.45 (in 2009).<ref name="CIA3" /> | |||
In 1999, Rocío Fernández-Ballesteros, Juan Díez-Nicolás, and Antonio Ruiz-Torres of Autónoma University in ] published a study on Spain's demography, predicting life expectancy of 77.7 for males and 83.8 for females by 2020.<ref name="spain2">{{cite book|title=Aging in Europe|last=Schroots|first=J. J. F.|author2=Rocío Fernández Ballesteros|author3=Georg Rudinger|year=1999|pages=107–108}}</ref> Arup Banerji and economist Mukesh Chawla of the ] predicted in July 2007 that half of Spain's population will be older than 55 by 2050, giving Spain the highest median age of any nation in the world.{{citation needed|date=April 2021}} | |||
In 2017 25.3% of the population of Spain was over 60 years old, and it is projected to increase to 41.9% by the year 2050.<ref name="UN 2017" /> The life expectancy at birth in 2010–2015 is projected to be 85 years for females and 79 years for males.<ref name="UN 2017" /> | |||
{{Clear}} | |||
===United Kingdom=== | |||
{{Main|Ageing of the United Kingdom}} | |||
{{Main|Demographics of the United Kingdom}} | |||
] | |||
The UK had a fertility rate of 1.68 in 2018 according to the Office for National Statistics.<ref>{{Cite web|title=National population projections, fertility assumptions: 2018-based - Office for National Statistics|url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationprojections/methodologies/nationalpopulationprojectionsfertilityassumptions2018based|access-date=2020-11-08|website=www.ons.gov.uk}}</ref> In 2019, England had a TFR of 1.66, and Wales had a TFR of just 1.54.<ref name="ons.gov.uk">{{Cite web|title=Births in England and Wales - Office for National Statistics|url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/livebirths/bulletins/birthsummarytablesenglandandwales/2019#:~:text=The%20total%20fertility%20rate%20(TFR,at%201.54%20children%20per%20woman.|access-date=2020-11-08|website=www.ons.gov.uk|language=en}}</ref> Scotland's TFR was 1.37 in 2019.<ref>{{cite web|date=23 June 2020|title=Vital Events Reference Tables 2019|url=https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/files//statistics/vital-events-ref-tables/2019/vital-events-ref-tables-19-publication.pdf|access-date=8 November 2020|website=National Records of Scotland}}</ref> In 2017, N.Ireland had a TFR of 1.87.<ref name="ons.gov.uk"/> By 2050, it is projected that one in four people in the UK will be aged 65 years and over – an increase from approximately one in five in 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Overview of the UK population - Office for National Statistics|url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/articles/overviewoftheukpopulation/august2019#the-uks-population-is-ageing|access-date=2020-11-08|website=www.ons.gov.uk}}</ref> According to the ONS' principal projection for the UK from 2019 data, the population is due to rise to over 73.6 million by 2050.<ref>{{Cite web|title=National population projections - Office for National Statistics|url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationprojections/bulletins/nationalpopulationprojections/2018based|access-date=2020-11-08|website=www.ons.gov.uk}}</ref> | |||
In mid-2019, there were 12.4 million people aged 65 years and over (18.5%) and 2.5% were aged 85 years and over.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Population estimates for the UK, England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland - Office for National Statistics|url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates/bulletins/annualmidyearpopulationestimates/mid2019estimates|access-date=2020-11-08|website=www.ons.gov.uk}}</ref> The proportion aged over 65 is forecast to rise to a quarter by 2050.<ref>{{Cite journal|title=Ratio of people aged 15-64 to people aged over 65 years, 2015 and 2050|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/888933867607|access-date=2020-11-08|doi=10.1787/888933867607}}</ref><ref name="UN 2017" /> Life expectancy at birth in the UK in 2020, using the 2017 to 2019 tables to make projections, was 79.4 years for males and 83.1 years for females.<ref>{{Cite web|title=National life tables – life expectancy in the UK - Office for National Statistics|url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/lifeexpectancies/bulletins/nationallifetablesunitedkingdom/2017to2019|access-date=2020-11-08|website=www.ons.gov.uk}}</ref> | |||
{{Clear}} | |||
==Other regions== | |||
===Russia=== | |||
{{Update|date=March 2022}}{{Main|Demographics of Russia|Russian Cross}} | |||
] | |||
The current{{when|date=October 2020}} Russian total fertility rate is 1.7 children per woman.<ref> {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130218205509/http://blog.euromonitor.com/2013/02/russian-birth-rate-above-regional-average.html |date=18 February 2013 }}, Euromonitor International, retrieved on 26 March 2013.</ref> While this represents an increase over previous rates, it remains ], below the replacement rate of 2.10–2.14. | |||
The population of the Russian Federation declined from its peak of 148,689,000 in 1991, to about 143 million people in 2013, a 4% decline. The World Bank predicted in 2005 that the population was set to decrease to 111 million by 2050, a 22% decline, if trends did not improve.<ref name="s" /> The United Nations similarly warned that the population could decline by one third by mid-century.<ref name="t">{{cite news |author=Steven Eke |date=23 June 2005 |title=Russia's population falling fast |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4125072.stm |access-date=22 December 2007}}</ref> | |||
In 2006 a national programme was developed with a goal to reverse the decline by 2026. A study published shortly after in 2007 showed that the rate of population decrease had slowed: According to the study, deaths exceeded births by 1.3 times, down from 1.5 times in the previous year, thus, if the net decrease in January–August 2006 was 408,200 people, in the same period during 2007 it was 196,600. The decline continued to slow in 2008 with only half the population loss compared to 2007. The reversal continued at the same pace in 2009 as death rates continued to fall, birth rates continued to rise and net migration stayed steady at about 250,000; in 2009 Russia saw population growth for the first time in 15 years.<ref name="bbc1"> ] Retrieved on 18 February 2009</ref><ref name="gks2009"> ] Retrieved on 18 February 2010</ref> | |||
{| class="wikitable" | |||
|- | |||
!Year | |||
!Population growth<ref> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514001827/http://demoscope.ru/weekly/pril.php|date=14 May 2011}} Retrieved on 26 May 2009</ref><ref> Retrieved on 26 May 2009</ref> | |||
|- | |||
|'''2000''' | |||
| −586,000 | |||
|- | |||
|'''2001''' | |||
| −655,000 | |||
|- | |||
|'''2002''' | |||
| −685,000 | |||
|- | |||
|'''2003''' | |||
| −796,000 | |||
|- | |||
|'''2004''' | |||
| −694,000 | |||
|- | |||
|'''2005''' | |||
| −720,000 | |||
|- | |||
|'''2006''' | |||
| −554,000 | |||
|- | |||
|'''2007''' | |||
| −212,100 | |||
|- | |||
|'''2008''' | |||
| −121,400 | |||
|- | |||
|'''2009''' | |||
| +23,300 | |||
|} | |||
] | |||
The improving economy has had a positive impact on the country's low birth-rate, as it rose from its lowest point of 8.27 births per 1000 people in 1999 to 11.28 per 1,000 in 2007. Russian Ministry of Economic Development hopes that by 2020 the population will stabilise at 138–139 million, and that by 2025 it will begin to increase again to its present-day status of 142–145, also raising the life expectancy to 75 years.<ref>Newsru, ''Население России за пять лет уменьшилось на 3,2 миллиона до 142 миллионов человек'', 19.Oct.2007 same date</ref> | |||
The two leading ] in Russia are ] and stroke, accounting for about 52% of all deaths.<ref> ]</ref> While ]-related deaths decreased in Japan, North America, and Western Europe between 1965 and 2001, in Russia CVD deaths increased by 25% for women and 65% for men. | |||
The percentage of ], married couples rose to 13% in the first decade of the 21st century, partially due to poorly performed abortions. According to expert Murray Feshbach 10–20% of women who have abortions in Russia are made infertile, though according to the 2002 census, only about 6–7% of women have not had children by the end of their reproductive years.<ref name="w">{{cite news |author=Nicholas Eberstadt |year=2004 |title=The Emptying of Russia |newspaper=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A38176-2004Feb12?language=printer |url-status=dead |access-date=22 December 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081025174301/http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A38176-2004Feb12?language=printer |archive-date=25 October 2008}}</ref><ref> World Bank Retrieved on 3 May 2008</ref> | |||
Mothers who give birth on 12 June, Russia's national day, are rewarded with money and expensive consumer items. In the first round of the competition 311 women participated and 46 babies were born on the following 12 June. Over 500 women participated in the second round in 2006 and 78 gave birth. The province's birth rate rose 4.5% between 2006 and 2007.<ref name="u">{{cite news |author=Masha Stromova |date=12 September 2007 |title=Have Sex, Make A Baby, Win A Car? |work=CBS News |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/have-sex-make-a-baby-win-a-car/ |url-status=live |access-date=22 December 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071230073425/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/09/12/world/main3253182.shtml |archive-date=30 December 2007}}</ref> | |||
Large-scale immigration is suggested as a solution to declining workforces in western nations, but according to the ], would be unacceptable to most Russians. Organisations like the ] and the UN have called on the Russian government to take the problem more seriously, stressing that a number of simple measures such as raising the price of alcohol or forcing people to wear ]s might make a lasting difference.<ref name="t" /> | |||
Then-] ] said in a state of the nation address that "no sort of immigration will solve Russia's demographic problem". Yevgeny Krasinyev, head of migration studies at the state-run Institute of Social and Economic Population Studies in Moscow, said Russia should only accept immigrants from the ], a view echoed by Alexander Belyakov, the head of the ]'s Resources Committee. | |||
] in Russia grew by 50.2% in 2007, and an additional 2.7% in 2008, helping stem the population decline. Migrants to Russia primarily come from CIS states and are Russians or Russian speakers.<ref> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080225172120/http://www.gks.ru/bgd/free/b08_00/IssWWW.exe/Stg/d01/7-0.htm|date=25 February 2008}}</ref> Thousands of migrant workers from Ukraine, Moldova, and the rest of the CIS have also entered Russia illegally, working but avoiding taxes.<ref name="v">{{cite news |author=Fred Weir |year=2002 |title=Russia's population decline spells trouble |newspaper=The Christian Science Monitor |url=http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0418/p06s02-woeu.html |access-date=22 December 2007}}</ref> There are an estimated 10 million illegal immigrants from the ] states in Russia.<ref>{{cite web |date=15 January 2007 |title=Russia cracking down on illegal migrants |url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/01/15/news/migrate.php |work=International Herald Tribune}}</ref> | |||
=== Central Europe and the former Soviet Union === | |||
{{Main|Demographics of Georgia (country)|Demographics of Ukraine}} | |||
The World Bank issued a report on 20 June 2007, "From Red To Grey: 'The Third Transition' of Aging Populations in central Europe and the Former ]", predicting that between 2007 and 2027 the populations of Georgia and Ukraine will decrease by 17% and 24%, respectively.<ref name=r>{{cite web|year=2007|url=http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2007/6/0E4DF063-3807-420D-B551-B3D07F7AA84C.html|title=East: 'If Countries Don't Act Now, It's Going To Be Too Late'|publisher=RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty|access-date=22 December 2007}}</ref> The World Bank estimates the population of 65 or older citizens in Poland and Slovenia will increase from 13% to 21% and 16% to 24%, respectively between 2005 and 2025.<ref name=s>{{cite web|url=http://siteresources.worldbank.org/ECAEXT/Resources/publications/454763-1181939083693/chaw_045-072_ch01.pdf|title=The Demographic Transition in Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union|publisher=World Bank|access-date=22 December 2007}}</ref> | |||
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*Scholefield, Anthony. ''The Death of Europe: How Demographic Decline Will Destroy the European Union''. 2000. | |||
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==References== | ==References== | ||
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==Further reading== | |||
*Kunisch, Sven; Boehm, Stephan A.; Boppel, Michael (eds): ''From Grey to Silver: Managing the Demographic Change Successfully'', Springer-Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg 2011, {{ISBN|978-3-642-15593-2}} | |||
* Sanchez-Gonzalez, Diego; Rodriguez-Rodriguez, Vicente (eds): ''Environmental Gerontology in Europe and Latin America. Policies and perspectives on environment and aging''. Nueva York: Springer Publishing Company. {{ISBN|978-3-319-21418-4}}. | |||
*Scholefield, Anthony. ''The Death of Europe: How Demographic Decline Will Destroy the European Union''. 2000. | |||
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Latest revision as of 03:41, 20 November 2024
Overview of ageing in Europe
This article needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (August 2022) |
The ageing of Europe, also known as the greying of Europe, is a demographic phenomenon in Europe characterised by a decrease in fertility, a decrease in mortality rate, and a higher life expectancy among European populations. Low birth rates and higher life expectancy contribute to the transformation of Europe's population pyramid shape. The most significant change is the transition towards a much older population structure, resulting in a decrease in the proportion of the working age while the number of the retired population increases. The total number of the older population is projected to increase greatly within the coming decades, with rising proportions of the post-war baby-boom generations reaching retirement. This will cause a high burden on the working age population as they provide for the increasing number of the older population.
Throughout history many states have worked to keep high birth rates in order to have moderate taxes, more economic activity and more troops for their military.
Population ageing is observed in most European countries today.
Overall trends
Main article: Historical population of the worldGiuseppe Carone and Declan Costello of the International Monetary Fund projected in September 2006 that the ratio of retirees to workers in Europe will double to 0.54 by 2050 (from four workers per retiree to two workers per retiree). William H. Frey, an analyst for the Brookings Institution think tank, predicts the median age in Europe will increase from 37.7 years old in 2003 to 52.3 years old by 2050 while the median age of Americans will rise to only 45.4 years old.
Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, the former European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, stated in 2014 that by 2020 a quarter of the population of Europe will be 60 years or older. This shift in demographics will drastically change the economic, labor market, health care, and social security of Europe.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development estimates 39% of Europeans between the ages of 55 to 65 work.
Austria's Social Affairs Minister said in 2006 that, by 2010, the 55- to 64-year-old age bracket in the European Union would be larger than the 15- to 24-year-old bracket. The Economic Policy Committee and the European Commission issued a report in 2006 estimating the working age population in the EU will decrease by 48 million, a 16% reduction, between 2010 and 2050, while the elderly population will increase by 58 million, a gain of 77%.
In 2002, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates the European Union will experience a 14% decrease in its workforce and a 7% decrease in its consumer populations by 2030.
The feminisation of old age is reflected by an increasing number of females age 65 and older. The longer life span is prevalent amongst women across the world. In Europe the life expectancy for women is 81 years old, while men's life expectancy is only 74 years old, which gives 7 years' difference. Life expectancy at age 60 is four years longer for women in comparison to men. Projections show additional 24 years for females and 20 years for males in Europe.
Causes
Main article: Population ageingPopulation ageing in Europe is caused primarily by three factors: declining fertility rates, increased life expectancy, and migration. The causes of population ageing vary among countries.
Fertility
The high number of people aged 60 and older in Europe is the result of high fertility rates which occurred 1950–1960. The period after the end of World War II was characterised by good social and economic status of the population in the child-bearing age and resulted in a "baby boom".
Current low fertility levels also contribute to the ageing of Europe. As the fertility levels drop, the age structure of the population changes, and the number of the younger groups decrease in relation to the older age groups. Europe's fertility rates have been less than the 2.1 children per woman (standard) replacement level and are projected to remain below the replacement level in the future.
Mortality
People are living longer with projections of average life expectancy reaching 84.6 years for men and 89.1 for women by 2060, an increase of 7.9 years of life for men and 6.6 years of life for women compared to 2010. The longer life span results in the changing age structure in the population by increasing the numbers of people in the older age group. The average life expectancy of the older population will depend on the progress in medicine to prevent the diseases which are the leading causes of death. Among the top three causes of death are ischemic artery disease, stroke and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Migration
People immigrating and emigrating from the country will cause fluctuations, in particular, in the size of the working age group of the population. If there are high numbers of young immigrants coming to the country it will result in a decrease of the proportion of the ageing population. In the following countries immigration is projected to slow the population ageing: Luxembourg, Switzerland, Norway, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Belgium, Denmark, Austria and United Kingdom. Emigration would cause the opposite effect on population ageing by having people in the working age leaving the country, and accelerating the ageing of the population as a result. Increase of the ageing population caused by emigration is projected to occur in Latvia.
Effects
Populations in Europe react in different ways to demographic changes, depending on what is happening in their countries. Both ageing, emigration and immigration can cause anxiety in populations of individual countries. Demographic studies and resultant reports conducted by the European Commission point to the declining birth rate of the population of the native European peoples, which would need to be reversed from its present level of about 1.4 in order to preclude a population decline of the native European peoples by nearly half in each generation, back to a replacement level of 2.1. Some have claimed that in order to compensate, it is necessary to allow migrants to settle in Europe in order to prevent labour shortages. It has been argued that such immigration leads to ethnic conflicts, such as the 2005 civil unrest in France.
Long-term decreasing rates in fertility and increasing life expectancy could have damaging consequences for almost every European nation. These demographic trends provoked debate over the best policies that can reverse these trends and lessen their consequences. RAND Europe, an independent not-for-profit research institute, was able to collect these policies through research and analysis. There were three broad policy approaches that were generated from the debate. The first policy is to encourage childbearing among younger couples that involves marriage and cohabitation. The second policy states that there should be an increase in the immigration of working-age people. Thirdly, there should be an improvement of social policy in general, to mitigate negative consequences of these trends. The research intends to examine the relationship between demographic trends and European government policies and determine which policies can reduce the consequences of low fertility and population ageing.
Countries
Belgium
Main article: Demographics of BelgiumThe International Monetary Fund's (IMF) High Council of Finance's (HCF) Study Committee on Ageing (SCA) predicted in 2007 that Belgium's population will increase by 5% by 2050 due to immigration, a higher fertility rate, and longer life expectancy. However, the IMF's study indicates Belgium's elderly population will increase by over 25% to over 63% of the country's overall population.
The Belgian government spent 9.1% of its GDP on pensions and 7.1% on health care expenses in 2005. By 2050 total social spending is expected to increase by 5.8%, assuming there is no change in the age of retirement. Most of this higher social spending comes from pension and health care, rising by 3.9% to 13.0% of GDP and 3.7% to 10.8% of GDP, respectively.
The decline in the workforce will partly compensate by lowering unemployment which will in turn lower the cost of childcare. The IMF also predicts that by 2050 the percentage of Belgian population over the age of 65 will increase from 16% to 25%.
In 2017 24.6% of the population of Belgium was over 60 years old, and it is projected to increase to 32.4% by the year 2050. The life expectancy at birth in 2010–2015 is projected to be 83 years for females and 78 years for males.
Finland
Main article: Demographics of FinlandFinland has one of the oldest populations of Europe. The so-called baby boomer generation born between 1945 and 1949 has already retired, and the share of over-65-year-olds of the population will increase from 20 percent in late 2010s to 26 percent by 2030 and to 29 percent by 2060. In comparison to its Nordic neighbours, a low share of Finnish people older than 61 years are still working. The government has aimed to increase their share in work life following the OECD recommendations. The increasing share of old people is predicted to burden the Finnish social welfare and pension system heavily in the following decades, increasing pressure to raise taxes. The collapse in fertility rates from 1.81 to just 1.34 in Finland during 2010s has made the future forecasts even more severe, as the share of working aged population will decrease by hundreds of thousands by 2050s. Also regional distribution of older people is uneven: the peripheric Finnish provinces will have a much higher share of elderly people than growing regions such as Uusimaa and Pirkanmaa.
According to 2019 estimate, the population of Finland will start decreasing by 2031, and in 2050 it will be some 100.000 lower than in 2019, given that migration will remain stable.
France
Main article: Demographics of FranceFrance overtook Ireland as the European Union member state with the highest birth rate in 2007. Projected birth rates indicate that France will have the largest population in the EU by 2050, with 75 million citizens, overtaking Germany, but only the second largest in Europe, with the UK having a larger estimated population. In 2011, France was the only European Union member with a fertility rate at replacement level, with an average rate of 2.08 children per woman while Ireland's fertility rate declined to 2.01 children per woman, slightly below replacement level. The reason for an increase in children is due to the government family benefits that are provided to these families. They receive an allowance based on income and how many children they have in the household.
The total fertility rate (TFR) fell to 1.99 children per woman in 2013 from 2.01 in 2012 and 2.03 in 2010. A rate of 2.1 children per woman is considered necessary to keep the population growing excluding migration.
For the year 2017 the percentage of population aged 60 or older was 25.7%, and projected to increase to 32.2% by 2050. The life expectancy at birth in 2010–2015 is projected to be 85 years for females and 79 years for males.
Germany
Main articles: Germans, Demographics of Germany, and Social issues in GermanyWith over 83 million inhabitants in September 2019, Germany is the most populous country in the European Union. However, its fertility rate of 1.596 children per woman in 2020 is very low, and the federal statistics office estimates the population will shrink to between 65 and 70 million by 2060 (65 million assuming a net migration of +100,000 per year; 70 million assuming a net migration of +200,000 per year). With death rates continuously exceeding low-level birth rates, Germany is one of a few countries for which the demographic transition model would require a fifth stage in order to capture its demographic development. In Germany, the population in some regions, especially the former Communist East Germany, is undergoing a current decline and depopulation. The Bauhaus Dessau Foundation came up with comprehensive plans to tear down numerous buildings and replace them with parks in various cities and the government of Germany developed a plan to reduce at great expense the width of sewer pipes in various cities. The southern states, however, have net gain in population and Germany as the economic powerhouse of the EU is attracting immigrants overall.
In 2017 28.0% of the population of Germany was over 60 years old, and it is projected to increase to 37.6% by the year 2050. The life expectancy at birth in 2010–2015 is projected to be 83 years for females and 78 years for males.
- Population of German territories 1800–2000 and immigrant population 1975–2000
- Population pyramid of Germany at the end of 2020
Italy
Main article: Demographics of ItalyUnder current fertility rates, Italy will need to raise its retirement age to 77 or admit 2.2 million immigrants annually to maintain its worker to retiree ratio. About 25% of Italian women do not have children while another 25% only have one child.
The region of Liguria in northwestern Italy now has the highest ratio of elderly to youth in the world. Ten percent of Liguria's schools closed in the first decade of the 21st century. The city of Genoa, one of Italy's largest and the capital of Liguria, is declining faster than most European cities with a death rate of 13.7 deaths per 1,000 people, almost twice the birth rate, 7.7 births per 1,000 people, as of 2005.
The Italian government has tried to limit and reverse the trend by offering financial incentives to couples who have children, and by increasing immigration. While fertility has remained stagnant, immigration has minimised the drop in the workforce.
In 2017 29.4% of the population of Italy was over 60 years old, and it is projected to increase to 40.3% by the year 2050. The life expectancy at birth in 2010–2015 is projected to be 85 years for females and 80 years for males.
Poland
Main article: Demographics of PolandThe economic effects of demographic shifts will be less concerning in Poland than in its neighboring countries even though it is expected to lose 15 percent of its population by mid-century. It is projected that by 2050 population of Poland will decrease to 32 million due to the emigration and low birth rates. The fertility rates have dropped from 3.7 children per woman in 1950 to 1.32 children per woman in 2014. This drastic drop would affect the economy of Poland.
In an effort to reverse declining birth rates, the Polish government in 2016 introduced a policy of paying 500 zlotys (about US$128) per month to families for every child below the age of 18 after the first child. The policy has since then been extended to the first child as well.
Portugal
Main article: Demographics of PortugalPortugal's population census of 1994 found that 13.1% of the population was above the age of 65. Average life expectancy for Portuguese increased by eight years between the 1980s and the first decade of the 21st century. In 2017 the population of the people aged 60 and more was 27.9%, with an estimate to increase in 2050 to 41.7%. The life expectancy at birth in 2010–2015 is projected to be 83 years for females and 77 years for males.
In the 1960s life expectancy for men ranked comparatively low in relation to other Western European nations, with 61.2 years for men and 67.5 years for women. As of 2006, the average for both sexes was at 77.7 years. In 1999 demographers predicted the percentage of elderly Portuguese would increase to 16.2% and 17.6% in 2010.
Recent studies in the newspaper Público showed that the population may shrink to 7.5 million (−29% of the current population, −0.7% of average populational growth per year) in 2050, if the fertility rate continues at 1.45 children per woman; taking into account the almost stationary emigration due to the economic crisis. In 2011, Portugal's fertility rate reached 1.51 children per woman, stemming the decline in the nation's fertility rate, although it is still below replacement level.
Spain
Main article: Demographics of SpainIn 1970, Spain's TFR of 2.9 children per woman ranked second in Western Europe after Ireland’s's rate of 3.9. By 1993 Spanish fertility declined to 1.26 children per woman, the second-lowest after Italy.
In recent years, Spain's fertility rate has been more constant ranging from 1.23 (in 2000 and 2020) to 1.45 (in 2009).
In 1999, Rocío Fernández-Ballesteros, Juan Díez-Nicolás, and Antonio Ruiz-Torres of Autónoma University in Madrid published a study on Spain's demography, predicting life expectancy of 77.7 for males and 83.8 for females by 2020. Arup Banerji and economist Mukesh Chawla of the World Bank predicted in July 2007 that half of Spain's population will be older than 55 by 2050, giving Spain the highest median age of any nation in the world.
In 2017 25.3% of the population of Spain was over 60 years old, and it is projected to increase to 41.9% by the year 2050. The life expectancy at birth in 2010–2015 is projected to be 85 years for females and 79 years for males.
United Kingdom
Main article: Ageing of the United Kingdom Main article: Demographics of the United KingdomThe UK had a fertility rate of 1.68 in 2018 according to the Office for National Statistics. In 2019, England had a TFR of 1.66, and Wales had a TFR of just 1.54. Scotland's TFR was 1.37 in 2019. In 2017, N.Ireland had a TFR of 1.87. By 2050, it is projected that one in four people in the UK will be aged 65 years and over – an increase from approximately one in five in 2018. According to the ONS' principal projection for the UK from 2019 data, the population is due to rise to over 73.6 million by 2050.
In mid-2019, there were 12.4 million people aged 65 years and over (18.5%) and 2.5% were aged 85 years and over. The proportion aged over 65 is forecast to rise to a quarter by 2050. Life expectancy at birth in the UK in 2020, using the 2017 to 2019 tables to make projections, was 79.4 years for males and 83.1 years for females.
Other regions
Russia
This article needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (March 2022) |
The current Russian total fertility rate is 1.7 children per woman. While this represents an increase over previous rates, it remains sub-replacement fertility, below the replacement rate of 2.10–2.14.
The population of the Russian Federation declined from its peak of 148,689,000 in 1991, to about 143 million people in 2013, a 4% decline. The World Bank predicted in 2005 that the population was set to decrease to 111 million by 2050, a 22% decline, if trends did not improve. The United Nations similarly warned that the population could decline by one third by mid-century.
In 2006 a national programme was developed with a goal to reverse the decline by 2026. A study published shortly after in 2007 showed that the rate of population decrease had slowed: According to the study, deaths exceeded births by 1.3 times, down from 1.5 times in the previous year, thus, if the net decrease in January–August 2006 was 408,200 people, in the same period during 2007 it was 196,600. The decline continued to slow in 2008 with only half the population loss compared to 2007. The reversal continued at the same pace in 2009 as death rates continued to fall, birth rates continued to rise and net migration stayed steady at about 250,000; in 2009 Russia saw population growth for the first time in 15 years.
Year | Population growth |
---|---|
2000 | −586,000 |
2001 | −655,000 |
2002 | −685,000 |
2003 | −796,000 |
2004 | −694,000 |
2005 | −720,000 |
2006 | −554,000 |
2007 | −212,100 |
2008 | −121,400 |
2009 | +23,300 |
The improving economy has had a positive impact on the country's low birth-rate, as it rose from its lowest point of 8.27 births per 1000 people in 1999 to 11.28 per 1,000 in 2007. Russian Ministry of Economic Development hopes that by 2020 the population will stabilise at 138–139 million, and that by 2025 it will begin to increase again to its present-day status of 142–145, also raising the life expectancy to 75 years.
The two leading causes of death in Russia are heart disease and stroke, accounting for about 52% of all deaths. While cardiovascular disease-related deaths decreased in Japan, North America, and Western Europe between 1965 and 2001, in Russia CVD deaths increased by 25% for women and 65% for men.
The percentage of infertile, married couples rose to 13% in the first decade of the 21st century, partially due to poorly performed abortions. According to expert Murray Feshbach 10–20% of women who have abortions in Russia are made infertile, though according to the 2002 census, only about 6–7% of women have not had children by the end of their reproductive years.
Mothers who give birth on 12 June, Russia's national day, are rewarded with money and expensive consumer items. In the first round of the competition 311 women participated and 46 babies were born on the following 12 June. Over 500 women participated in the second round in 2006 and 78 gave birth. The province's birth rate rose 4.5% between 2006 and 2007.
Large-scale immigration is suggested as a solution to declining workforces in western nations, but according to the BBC, would be unacceptable to most Russians. Organisations like the World Health Organization and the UN have called on the Russian government to take the problem more seriously, stressing that a number of simple measures such as raising the price of alcohol or forcing people to wear seat belts might make a lasting difference.
Then-President Vladimir Putin said in a state of the nation address that "no sort of immigration will solve Russia's demographic problem". Yevgeny Krasinyev, head of migration studies at the state-run Institute of Social and Economic Population Studies in Moscow, said Russia should only accept immigrants from the Commonwealth of Independent States, a view echoed by Alexander Belyakov, the head of the Duma's Resources Committee.
Migration in Russia grew by 50.2% in 2007, and an additional 2.7% in 2008, helping stem the population decline. Migrants to Russia primarily come from CIS states and are Russians or Russian speakers. Thousands of migrant workers from Ukraine, Moldova, and the rest of the CIS have also entered Russia illegally, working but avoiding taxes. There are an estimated 10 million illegal immigrants from the ex-Soviet states in Russia.
Central Europe and the former Soviet Union
Main articles: Demographics of Georgia (country) and Demographics of UkraineThe World Bank issued a report on 20 June 2007, "From Red To Grey: 'The Third Transition' of Aging Populations in central Europe and the Former Soviet Union", predicting that between 2007 and 2027 the populations of Georgia and Ukraine will decrease by 17% and 24%, respectively. The World Bank estimates the population of 65 or older citizens in Poland and Slovenia will increase from 13% to 21% and 16% to 24%, respectively between 2005 and 2025.
See also
- Aging of the United States
- Aging of Canada
- Aging of Japan
- Aging of South Korea
- Aging of China
- Aging of Australia
- Russian Cross
- Demographics of Europe
- List of European countries by population growth rate
- Political demography
- Population decline
- Retirement in Europe
General:
- List of sovereign states and dependencies by total fertility rate
- Population ageing
- Population pyramid
- Sub-replacement fertility
- World population
- Replacement migration
Demographic economics:
References
- Notes
- ^ Giuseppe Carone and Declan Costello (2006). "Can Europe Afford to Grow Old?". International Monetary Fund Finance and Development magazine. Retrieved 15 December 2007.
- "Population structure and ageing - Statistics Explained". Ec.europa.eu. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
- Iburg, KM; Charalampous, P; Allebeck, P (24 November 2022). "Burden of disease among older adults in Europe—trends in mortality and disability, 1990–2019". European Journal of Public Health. 33 (1): 121–126. doi:10.1093/eurpub/ckac160. PMC 9897992. PMID 36421036.
- "Europe's Shrinking, Aging Population". Stratfor.com. 13 June 2012. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
- "Europe's Aging Population Faces Social Problems Similar to Japan's". Goldsea Asian American Daily. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 15 December 2007.
- European Commission (2014). "Population Aging in Europe: Facts, Implications, and Policies.". Retrieved 1 May 2017.
- Richard Bernstein (29 June 2003). "Aging Europe Finds Its Pension Is Running Out". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 8 March 2008. Retrieved 15 December 2007.
- Paul S. Hewitt (2002). "Depopulation and Aging in Europe and Japan: The Hazardous Transition to a Labor Shortage Economy". International Politics and Society. Archived from the original on 27 December 2007. Retrieved 15 December 2007.
- ^ Weeks, John Robert (2012). Population : an introduction to concepts and issues (11th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage learning. ISBN 9781111185978. OCLC 697596943.
- ^ "World Population Ageing 2017". United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2017). Retrieved 26 March 2018.
- Artzrouni, M; Easterlin, R (1982). "Birth History, Age Structure, and Post World War II Fertility in Ten Developed Countries: An Exploratory Empirical Analysis". Genus. 38 (3–4): 81–99. PMID 12312903.
- ^ "Europe's Shrinking, Aging Population". Stratfor.com. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
- "Europeans Credit EU with Promoting Peace and Prosperity, but Say Brussels is Out of Touch with Its Citizens". 19 March 2019.
- Eurostat, Population Projections, European Commission, 2012
- Steyn, Mark (2006) America Alone: The End of the World As We Know It Washington D.C., Regnery Publishing. On pages 10 and 54, birth rates among people of European ancestry populations in various nations are indicated that show all populations of European ancestry are reproducing at an average birth rate of only about 1.4, almost half the replacement rate of 2.1, and thus their population has a negative (declining) growth rate that will decline by almost half every generation.
- ^ "Childless Europe: What Happens to a Continent When it Stops Making Babies?" New York Times Magazine Sunday, 29 June 2008
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Further reading
- Kunisch, Sven; Boehm, Stephan A.; Boppel, Michael (eds): From Grey to Silver: Managing the Demographic Change Successfully, Springer-Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg 2011, ISBN 978-3-642-15593-2
- Sanchez-Gonzalez, Diego; Rodriguez-Rodriguez, Vicente (eds): Environmental Gerontology in Europe and Latin America. Policies and perspectives on environment and aging. Nueva York: Springer Publishing Company. ISBN 978-3-319-21418-4.
- Scholefield, Anthony. The Death of Europe: How Demographic Decline Will Destroy the European Union. 2000.
External links
- FLASH POINTS AND TIPPING POINTS: Security Implications of Global Population Changes, 2005–2025
- CoViVE Research Consortium on Population Aging in Flanders and Europe
- The Emptying of Russia
- Replacement Migration: Is it a solution for Russia?
- Some EU nations offer benefits for births
- European Countries Try to Stimulate Higher Birth Rates
- Norway's welfare model 'helps birth rate'
- Dossier "The Aging Society" – Goethe-Institut
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