"Population Cliff Hits Europe Too: Births Halved in 60 Years, EU Population Projected to Fall Below 400 Million by 2100"

EU Population to Peak in 2029 Before Declining...
Low Birth Rate and Aging Intensifying

Proportion of Population Aged 65 and Older to Grow:
'1 in 5 Today' to '1 in 3 by 2050'

The Asia Business Daily reported on July 15, citing AFP, that the population of the European Union (EU) is projected to peak in 2029 and then begin to decline, dropping below 400 million by 2100.

The photo is not directly related to the specific content of the article. Yonhap News Agency

According to the latest EU population statistics report released on July 14 (local time), the current EU population of 450.6 million is expected to reach its peak at 443.3 million in 2029 and then gradually decrease to 398.8 million by 2100, a decrease of 11.7% compared to now. AFP pointed out that the EU population will fall below 400 million for the first time since the 1970s.

The most striking statistic is the decline in the number of births. The annual number of births fell from 6.8 million in 1964 to 3.5 million in 2024, nearly halving over the past 60 years.

The advancement of medical technology and improvements in living conditions are expected to further increase life expectancy and intensify population aging. Currently, 1 in 5 EU residents is aged 65 or older, but by 2050 this will increase sharply to 1 in 3. By 2100, the life expectancy for women is forecast to surpass 90 years, and for men to exceed 86 years.

The EU analyzed that these demographic changes could increase labor shortages and fiscal burdens while placing significant strain on medical, care, and education systems.

However, it was also suggested that the growing demand for products and services aimed at the elderly population could enable the 'silver economy' to emerge as a new growth engine.

The photo is not directly related to the specific content of the article. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

Proportion of Koreans Aged 65 and Older Surpasses 20%... Projected to Reach 47.7% by 2072

The situation is not much different in Korea. According to the "2025 Social Indicators of Korea" published by the Ministry of Data and Statistics, the country's total population was 51.68 million as of last year. Among them, the number of people aged 65 and older reached 10.51 million, accounting for 20.3% of the total population.

Population aging is expected to intensify further. By 2072, the total population is projected to decrease to 36.22 million, with the proportion of those aged 65 and over reaching 47.7%, meaning the elderly could make up nearly half of the population. In contrast, in the same year, those aged 0-14 are expected to number only 2.38 million (6.6%), while those aged 15-64 are projected to total 16.58 million (45.8%).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.