The Irish are unique and dynamic, claims EU study

A demographic report recently published by the European Commission provides the latest facts and figures that assess where Member States stand in responding to the challenges of demographic change. The report mentions Ireland at several locations as one of the most unique and dynamic populations in the EU.
The Irish are unique and dynamic, claims EU study
Alan McDonnell
4/6/2011
Updated:
4/6/2011

DUBLIN—A demographic report recently published by the European Commission provides the latest facts and figures that assess where Member States stand in responding to the challenges of demographic change. The report mentions Ireland at several locations as one of the most unique and dynamic populations in the EU.

High birth rates after World War II led to what is often referred to as the baby-boom, which lasted into the 1960s. The latest Demography Report emphasises that these baby-boomers are now reaching their sixties and are beginning to retire from the labour market. This marks a turning point in the demographic development of the European Union, with ageing no longer something that will happen at some point in the distant future; it is starting now.

As of 2010, the oldest populations are in Germany and Italy, with median ages of 44.2 and 43.1 respectively; the youngest population by far is in Ireland, with a median age of 34.3.

The report shows that fertility continues to rise slowly across Europe, and in 2009, 5 million babies were born in the EU-27. Fertility rates have increased from below 1.45 children per woman to 1.6. However, for a population to be self-sustaining, a rate of 2.1 children per woman is required.

Fertility is one main driver in population change. Low fertility rates contribute to population ageing, and the current levels of fertility in the EU means that the EU population will start decreasing in 2050-2060. The population in some Member States is already decreasing due to low fertility rates in the past.

The report points to modern family policies that allow young couples to have the number of children they wish to bear. The modest increase in fertility results from somewhat unusual family building patterns: countries with fewer marriages, more cohabitation, more divorces and an older average age of women at childbirth tend to have higher fertility.

The increase itself is observed mostly in the Central and Eastern EU Member States, where fertility had dropped significantly in the recent past.
The highest fertility rate is in Ireland (just above 2 children per woman) followed by France (just under 2). The lowest rates are in Latvia, Hungary and Portugal, at just above 1.3.

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Families are also undergoing dramatic changes. The number of marriages is decreasing while the number of divorces and births outside marriage is on the rise. There are now about four divorces per every ten marriages, and more than one-third of newborns are born outside of marriage. There is a great disparity among Member States as to the age at which young adults leave their parents home and start to live independently or begin their own families.

The lack of job security and/or the perspective of unemployment can act as a deterrent here, delaying family formation.
The largest differences among Member States are found in family formation. In Romania and Lithuania there are over 6 marriages per year per 1000 inhabitants - in Slovenia, just above 3. In Belgium, there are 3 divorces per 1000 inhabitants every year; in Ireland and Italy, less than 1. In Estonia, almost 60 per cent of the children are born outside marriage (to single women or non-married couples; in Greece, only 7 per cent).

In 2008, life expectancy for the EU-27 was 76.4 years for men and 82.4 for women. Differences among Member States are still very significant, ranging from almost 13 years for men to 8 for women. At the top are Spain, France, Italy and Sweden, nearing 80 years for men and 85 for women.

Having reached the age of 65, women in the EU27 could expect to live an additional 20.7 years and men an additional 17.2 years. As for life expectancy at birth, life expectancy at age 65 has also increased in all Member States between 1993 and 2009, with the largest increases for both women and men in Ireland.

Life expectancy has been increasing in an almost continuous and uniform trend at the rate of 2-3 months every year, and is the main driver behind population ageing in the EU. On the one hand, it is a symptom of increased prosperity and it carries opportunities for living longer healthy and active lives; even as the population becomes older, the average remaining life span is actually increasing. On the other hand, it requires changes in our habits, regulations and policies to ensure that the same prosperity that has led to increased life-spans will not be undermined by these unsustainable increases independency.

Migration is also changing. Large-scale migration and mixing of cultures are clearly not new phenomena in the history of the EU. Past flows have had a different impact on the size and structure of the population in most EU-27 Member States, and they have contributed to a more European outlook among its citizens. Immigrants often want to maintain a close attachment to their country of origin, but these linkages tend to weaken over time.

Alongside traditional migration and mobility, new forms of mobility are taking place. People are moving abroad, mainly to other Member States and for shorter periods to seek work, or to pursue their education or other life opportunities. These mobile people tend to be well-educated young adults, towards the higher end of the occupational scale. Increasingly, this form of mobility is based on personal preferences and life choices, and not only on economic opportunities.

Although net immigration to the EU was halved, the total number of foreigners within EU-27 borders continued to rise, with few exceptions. New Eurostat data on residence permits throws light on the reasons for migration from non-EU countries. The available data show that the decline in migration is largely due to a reduction in migration for employment and family reasons, while the number of residence permits issued for education and other reasons increased slightly from 2008 to 2009.

From 2007 and 2009, immigrant flows have gone down in Ireland, Spain and Italy, and remained stable in Germany and the UK. They increased in Belgium and Sweden. Fewer people overall migrated from non-EU countries, especially on work and family-related permits, while education permits are up slightly.