2 Sep 2008
Britain will be most populated EU country in 2060 – Eurostat
According to Eurostat, the statistical arm of the European Commission, Great Britain will be the most populous country in the European Union with 76.6 million residents if current trends continue.
Because of its immigration rate and high fertility it will pass up both Germany and France, both of which currently have higher populations than Great Britain according to the CIA World Factbook. According to Eurostat data, Ireland will have increased its population by 52.9 percent from 2008 — the highest growth rate in Europe.
Overall, however, the picture is bleak. Eurostat estimates that by 2060 about 30 percent of the European population will be over the age of 60 and — at best — 24.5 percent will be below the age of 18.
The newest entries to the European Union are actually those that will be most affected by the widespead aging of European countries. Bulgaria’s population will shrink to almost half its size, from 9 million today to around 5.1 million in 2060.