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The European Office for Statistics, Eurostat, has revealed that on January 1 of last year, the average age of the EU population reached 44.4 years, which means 0.3 years more than in 2021.
The same source also said the average age of the EU population has increased by 2.5 years from 41.9 years in 2012. At the same time, this data shows while half of the EU population was older than 44.4 years, the other half was younger, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
“Across the EU countries, the median age ranged from 38.3 years in Cyprus, 38.8 in Ireland, and 39.7 in Luxembourg to 48.0 years in Italy, 46.8 in Portugal, and 46.1 in Greece. In total, 18 EU countries were below the EU’s median age,” the report reads.
According to Eurostat, during the period 2012-2022, this indicator increased in all EU members except for Sweden, where in 2021, it decreased from 40.8 years to 40.7 years last year.
Between 2012 and 2022 in Malta, there was no change in the average age, so it remained at 40.4 years.
On the other hand, in five EU countries, the average age of the population rose by four years or more.
In Portugal, the average age increased the most among EU countries with +4.7 years, followed by Spain with +4.3, Greece and Slovakia with +4.1 each, and Italy with +4.0.
Eurostat data also reveals that between 2021 and 2022, the median age grew in 24 EU countries, while it decreased in Germany by -0.1 years and remained the same in Austria and the Netherlands.
During the same period, the most significant increase in the average age was observed in Greece, with +0.6 years, and the Czech Republic, with +0.5.
Last year there was an increase in the number of elderly people aged 65 and over compared to the number of people of working age 15-64.
In 2022, the elderly dependency ratio in the EU was 33 per cent, 0.5 percentage points (pp) higher than in 2021. Since 2012, when this indicator was 27.1 per cent, it has increased by 5.9pp.
Moreover, the indicator varied between EU members but remained above 20 per cent across the board.
In this regard, the highest ratios were recorded in Italy at 37.5 per cent, Finland at 37.4 per cent, and Portugal at 37.2 per cent, while the lowest was in Luxembourg at 21.3 per cent, Ireland at 23.1 per cent, and Cyprus at 24.5 per cent.
In addition, compared to a decade ago, the largest increases in reports were in the following countries:
- Finland (+9.7pp),
- Poland (+9.6pp)
- Czech Republic (+9.2pp)
Meanwhile, the lowest rates were recorded in Luxembourg with (+1.0pp), Austria with (+3.1pp), and Germany with (+3.3pp).
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