Europe’s Population Records Increase in 2022

After a decrease in population in 2020 and 2021 due to the widespread effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Europe experienced an increase in population in 2022.

SchengenVisaInfo.com reported that Eurostat data revealed the population grew from 446.7 millions individuals on 1 January 2022 to 448.4million people on 1 January 2023.

According to the source, the growth in population is largely due to increased migration after COVID-19, and to the large influx of Ukrainians who have been granted temporary protection in EU countries because of the Russian invasion that occurred in February 2022.

Eurostat's latest figures show that the EU population has been growing steadily for many years, from 354,5 million people in 1960 to the 448,4 million at the 1st of January this year. This represents a 93.9-million increase.

In recent decades the rate of population growth has been gradually slowing down. Eurostat states that the EU population increased by an average of 0.8 million per year between 2005 and 2022. This compares to an increase of 3.0 millions per year in the 1960s.

"While the EU population shortly declined in 2020 by around half a million persons and in 2021 by almost 0.3 million persons due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it has started to regain its growth as the new figures show," the report reads.

According to Eurostat's previous population forecasts, by 2100 the EU population is expected decrease by 6 percent, or 27.3 millions people.

The EU population has also experienced two major changes in the past three years. These include the significant decline in the EU's population during the COVID-19 Pandemic of 2020 and 2021, and the massive influx from Ukraine of refugees into the EU.

The population of Ukraine is expected to reach 451 million by the end of this year. This shows the impact that the Russian army has had on the people who have fled the country. Eurostat said that the EU population will reach 453 millions in 2026, before dropping to 420,000,000 in 2100.

The older age groups will also increase by two percent, from 15 percent of the population in 2022, to 14 percent in 2100.

Source: schengenvisainfo.com