The population of the European Union (EU) could shrink by nearly 52 million people by 2100. This follows from the published European Commission report on demographic change.

In analyzing the data, the Joint Research Centre concluded that Europe’s population has now reached its peak.

“Today, 450.6 million people live in the EU, and by 2050, according to forecasts, the population of the European Union will decline to about 445 million, and by 2100 — to 398.8 million, that is, by a total of 11.7%, back to the level of the 1970s,” the document states.

According to experts’ forecasts, by 2050 nearly every third resident of the bloc will be aged 65 and over. For comparison, specialists cite current figures, according to which one in five citizens currently belongs to this age group.

At the same time, life expectancy in the union’s countries will continue to rise. According to the European Commission’s estimates, by 2100 this indicator could exceed 90 years for women and 86 years for men.

A child born in the EU in 2023 could live free of serious illness until the age of 75.3.