The Old Continent Is Getting Older
by Vincenzo Galasso, Full Professor od Economics, Director of Department of Social and Political Science
Europe – the Old Continent – is becoming the continent of the elderly. On 1 January 2022, the EU population was estimated at 446.7 million. Only 15% of the population was younger than 15 years old. 15.1% was between 65 and 79 years old and 6.1% older than 80. In 2060, the share of young individuals (younger than 15) is forecasted to shrink to 13.6%, while the elderly (65-79 years old) will rise to 17.8% of the population and the very elderly (80+) will double to 12.5%. Of course, these average numbers hide large cross-country variations. In Germany, Greece and Italy, the share of very elderly is already above 7.2% and will grow fast.