Under the baseline scenario of the latest population projections issued by Eurostat, the EU’s population will continue to grow older.
This can be illustrated by the old-age dependency ratio, defined as the ratio of the number of elderly people (aged 65 years and over) compared with the number of people of working-age (15-64 years).
According to new data published on Monday by Eurostat, the EU’s old-age dependency ratio is projected to be at 57% in 2100, almost double that of 2019 (31%). This means that there will be fewer than two persons of working age for each elderly person aged 65 and over.
The projected increase in old-age dependency ratio follows the trend observed in the past decade (26% in 2009), the report noted.
Projected old-age dependency ratio: highest in Poland, lowest in Cyprus
By 2100, across the EU Member States, the old-age dependency ratio is projected to be highest in Poland (63%), followed by Italy, Malta and Finland (all 62%) as well as Croatia (61%).
At the other end of the scale, the lowest ratios are projected in Cyprus (52%), Sweden and Czechia (both 53%), Germany, Denmark and Belgium (all 54%).
