Brussels, 04/08/2009 (Agence Europe) - According to data published on Monday 3 August by Eurostat, on 1 January 20091, the population of the EU27 was estimated at 499.8 million, compared with 497.7 million on 1 January 2008. The population of the EU27 grew by 2.1 million in 2008, an annual rate of +0.4%. The population of the euro area (EA16) was estimated at 328.7 million on 1 January 2009, compared with 327.1 million on 1 January 2008. The population of the euro area grew by 1.6 million in 2008, an annual rate of +0.5%.
The increased population is due to due to a natural increase of 0.6 million and net migration of 1.5 million. The demographic situation in 2008 in the EU27 is characterised by a continuation of the upward trend in the natural increase which began in 2004, explained by a moderate increase in the crude birth rate and a relatively constant crude death rate, while net migration has remained over the same period at an annual level of between 1.5 and 2 million. The population of the euro area grew is due to a natural increase of 0.4 million and net migration of 1.2 million.
5.4 million children were born in the EU27 in 2008. The crude birth rate in the EU27 was 10.9 per 1000 inhabitants, an increase of 0.3 live births per 1000 inhabitants compared with 2007. Between 2007 and 2008 the crude birth rate increased in all Member States except Germany. The highest increases were recorded in Lithuania (10.4‰ in 2008 compared with 9.6‰ in 2007), Ireland (16.9‰ compared with 16.2‰), Cyprus (11.6‰ compared with 10.9‰) and Poland (10.9‰ compared with 10.2‰).
There were 4.8 million deaths registered in the EU27 in 2008. The EU27 death rate remained stable at 9.7 deaths per 1000 inhabitants in 2008, the same as in 2007. The highest increases in the death rate were recorded in Germany (10.3‰ in 2008 compared with 10.1‰ in 2007), Malta (7.9‰ compared with 7.6‰) and France (8.5‰ compared with 8.3‰), and the largest decreases in Latvia (13.7‰ compared with 14.5‰), Luxembourg (7.4‰ compared with 8.1‰), and Estonia (12.4‰ compared with 13.0‰).
Per country, the highest total increase in population was in Spain (+545,000), followed by the United Kingdom (+441,000), Italy (+434,000), France (+368,000). Twenty countries experienced a population increase in 2008, while seven others experienced demographic falls. Germany's population fell the most sharply (168,000), followed by Bulgaria (-34,000) and Romania (-30,000).
Population per country is as follows: Germany 82, 062 million; France 64,105 million; United Kingdom 61,612 million; Italy 60,090 million; Spain 46,661 million; Poland 38,130 million; Romania 21,496 million; Netherlands 16,481 million; Greece 11,262 million; Belgium 10,741 million; Portugal 10,631 million; Czech Republic 10,474 million; Hungary 10,029 million; Sweden 9,259 million; Austria 8 ,356 million; Bulgaria 7,602 million; Denmark 5,519 million; Slovakia 5,411 million; Finland 5,325 million; Ireland 4,517 million; Lithuania 3,350 million; Latvia 2,261 million; Slovenia 2,053 million; Estonia 1,340 million; Cyprus 801 622; Luxembourg 491 702; Malta 412 614.
The Instituto de Politica Familiar underlined in a press release on 30 July that Spain had experienced the sharpest rise in population growth in the EU over the last decade. With an increase of 6 859 123 in population growth, Spain tops the league table in terms of population growth. This means that there is almost a one in four increase in the EU's population that comes from Spain (37%). According to the Instituto, this high growth rate in the Spanish population is mainly due to immigration which alone accounts for 4.8 million. 4 Other countries have seen their populations grow by millions: France (3 946 592), Italy (3 181 321) and the United Kingdom (3 032 570). Other countries experiencing increases: Ireland (785 557), Netherlands (720 914), Belgium (527 296), Portugal (482 917), Sweden (404 722), Greece (401 137), Austria (374 246), Denmark (205 682), Czech Republic (184 986), Finland (165 469), Cyprus (118 760), Slovenia (75 059), Luxembourg (64 352), Malta (34 096). Germany (25 238) and Slovakia (17 680), are almost stable. Seven countries experienced falls in population: Estonia (-38 896), Latvia (- 138 116), Lithuania (- 186 016), Hungary (- 223 543), Romania (- 449 767), Poland
(- 536 681) and Bulgaria (- 628 255). (A.B./O.J/trans/rh)