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The demographics of the European Union show a highly populated, culturally diverse union of 27 member states.As of 1 February 2020, the population of the EU is about 445million people.[4]

The most populous member state is Germany, with an estimated 82.8million people, and the least populous member state is Malta with 0.48million. Birth rates in the EU are low with the average woman having 1.6 children. The highest birth-rates are found in Ireland with 16.876 births per thousand people per year and France with 13.013 births per thousand people per year. Spain has the lowest birth rate in Europe with 8.221 births per thousand people per year.

.[5]

The European Union has a significant number of global cities. It contained 13 of the 60 cities which composed the 2008 Global Cities Index,[7] as well as 16 of the 41 "alpha" global cities classified by Globalization and World Cities (GaWC) Research Network (including Paris, Milan, Amsterdam and Brussels among others).[8] The following is a list of the ten most populous cities, urban areas and urban zones in the European Union, with their population:

The movement of people within the Union i.e. internal migration, remains limited; it has traditionally followed two patterns:

At present, more people immigrate into the European Union than emigrate from it. Immigration is a controversial issue in many member states, including Belgium, Sweden, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and France.[citation needed] It was also a cited as a major factor in the Brexit referendum of 2016.

In 2010, 47.3 million people living in the EU, or 9.4% of the total population, had been born outside their resident country. Of these, 31.4 million (6.3%) had been born outside the EU; 16.0 million (3.2%) had been born in another member state. The largest absolute numbers of people born outside the EU were in Germany (6.4 million), France (5.1 million), Spain (4.1 million), Italy (3.2 million), and the Netherlands (1.4 million).[13]

In 2017, approximately 825,000 persons acquired citizenship of a member state of the European Union, down from 995,000 in 2016.[14] The largest groups were nationals of Morocco, Albania, India, Turkey and Pakistan.[15]

Spain in particular receives most of the immigrants coming illegally to Europe from Africa, probably due to its large coastal area and its proximity to and land borders with Morocco at Ceuta and Melilla; African immigrants try to enter the country by boat from Morocco or Senegal or by jumping the border fences. For example, during just the first weekend of September 2006, more than 1,300 illegal immigrants arrived on beaches in the Canary Islands[16] and estimates are that between 50,000 and 70,000 people enter the European Union illegally through Spanish borders or beaches. Border fences have been built at both the Ceuta and Melilla borders in an attempt to stop illegal entrance to the country. Illegal immigration is an issue in Spanish politics, and also a big human rights problem, since many people die during the journey. Spain has been Europe's largest absorber of migrants for the past six years, with its immigrant population increasing fourfold as 2.8million people have arrived, mostly from Latin America. Spectacular growth in Spain's immigrant population came as the country's economy created more than half of all the new jobs in the European Union between 2001 and 2006.[17]

The net migration rate for the EU in 2008 was 3.1 per 1,000 inhabitants;[18] this figure is for migration into and out of the European Union, and therefore excludes any internal movements between member states. Annual net migration has varied from 1.5 to 2.0million people since 2003.[18]

Since 2020, EU data is aggregated for the 27 remaining states. UK is no more a member due to Brexit.

Before Brexit, EU data was aggregated for 28 countries member of the EU from 2013 until 2020, including the UK.

The EU has significant religious diversity, mirroring its diverse history and culture. The largest religious group professes Christianity and accounts for 64% of the EU population in 2019,[21] down from 72% in 2012.[22] Largest Christian groups are Roman Catholicism, Protestantism and Eastern Orthodoxy. Several EU nations do not have a Christian majority and for example in Estonia and the Czech Republic the majority have no religious affiliation.

European countries have experienced a decline in church attendance as well as a decline in the number of people professing a religious belief. The 2010 Eurobarometer Poll found that, on average, 51% of the citizens of EU Member States state that they believe there is a God, 26% believe there is some sort of spirit or life force and 20% don't believe there is any sort of spirit, God or life force. 3% declined to answer.[23] These figures show a 2% change from theism to atheism since 2005.[22]

European indigenous (or native) religions are still alive in small and diverse minorities, especially in Scandinavia, Baltic states, Italy and Greece.[citation needed]

The recent influx of immigrants to the affluent EU nations has brought in various religions of their native homelands, including Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and the Bah Faith. Judaism has had a long history in Europe and has coexisted with the other religions for centuries, despite periods of persecution or genocide by European rulers. Islam too has had a long history in Europe, with Spain and Portugal at one time having a Muslim majority.[24] Large Muslim populations also exist in the Balkans and parts of Eastern Europe, due to a legacy of centuries of Ottoman rule.

The first official language of each of the 27 Member Countries has the status of an official language of the European Union. In total there are 24, with Irish, Bulgarian and Romanian gaining official language status on 1 January 2007, when the last two countries joined the European Union, and Croatian becoming official in 2013.

Before Brexit, English was the most spoken language in the EU, being spoken by around 51% of its population. This high proportion is because 38% of EU citizens speak it as a language other than their mother tongue (i.e. second or foreign language).[3] German is the most spoken first language, spoken by more than 20% of the population following Brexit.

The EU faces challenges in its demographic future. Most concerns center around several related issues: an ageing population, growing life expectancy and immigrant flow.

After hitting a historical low of 1.47 children born per female, the total fertility rate of the EU started to increase again, to reach a level of 1.60 in 2008.[25] The positive trend was observed in all member states with the exception of Luxembourg, Malta and Portugal. The largest increases over this period were observed in Bulgaria (from 1.23 children per woman in 2003 to 1.57 in 2009), Slovenia (from 1.20 to 1.53), the Czech Republic (from 1.18 to 1.49) and Lithuania (from 1.26 to 1.55).[25] In 2009, the Member States with the highest fertility rates were Ireland (2.06), France (2.00), Sweden (1.94), and the United Kingdom (1.90), all approaching the replacement level of 2.1 children born per female.[25] The lowest rates were observed in Latvia (1.31), Hungary and Portugal (both 1.32) and Germany (1.36). The increasing fertility rate has also been accompanied by an upward trend in the natural increase of the population which is due to the moderate increase of the crude birth rate that reached 10.9 births per 1000 inhabitants in 2008, an increase of 0.3 compared with 2007. The increase was observed in all member countries except Germany. The EU crude death rate remained stable at 9.7 per 1000 inhabitants.[18] The relatively low fertility rate means retirement age workers are not entirely replaced by younger workers joining the workforce. The EU faces a potential future dominated by an ever-increasing population of retired citizens, without enough younger workers to fund (via taxes) retirement programs or other state welfare agendas.[26]

A low fertility rate, without supplement from immigration, also suggests a declining overall EU population,[27] which further suggests economic contraction or even a possible economic crisis.[28] Some media have noted the 'baby crisis' in the EU,[29] some governments have noted the problem,[30] and the UN and other multinational authorities have warned of a possible crisis.[31] At this point however such a decrease in the population of the EU is not observed as the overall natural growth remains positive and the EU continues to attract large numbers of immigrants. In 2010, a breakdown of the population by citizenship showed that there were 20.1 million foreign citizens living in the EU representing 4% of the population.[25]

Over the last 50 years, life expectancy at birth in the EU27 has increased by around 10 years for both women and men, to reach 82.4 years for women and 76.4 years for men in 2008. The life expectancy at birth rose in all Member States, with the largest increases for both women and men recorded in Estonia and Slovenia.[25]

In 2017, Eurostat released yearly projections up to 2080.

The table figures below are in thousands.[32]

There is no precise or universally accepted definition of the terms "ethnic group" or "nationality". In the context of European ethnography in particular, the terms ethnic group, people (without nation state), nationality, national minority, ethnic minority, linguistic community, linguistic group and linguistic minority are used as mostly synonymous, although preference may vary in usage with respect to the situation specific to the individual countries of Europe.[33]

Defining ethnic composition requires defining ethnic minority groups.European Commission, funded the European Social Survey which considered three different way to define ethnic minority groups:

However main legal EU statistics published by Eurostat focus on citizenship and country of birth.

The largest groups that account for about 400 million people in the European Union are:

The rest are various smaller ethnic groups include Swedes (c. 10.2 million), Hungary (c. 9.8million), Austrians (c. 8.8million), Bulgaria (c. 8 million) Flemish, Croats, Slovaks, Silesians, Danes, Finns, Irish, Walloons, Lithuanians, Slovenes, Latvians, Estonians, Russians, Maltese, Moravians, Frisians and Basques.

More than 5 million ethnic groups

On current trends European populations will become more ethnically diverse, with the possibility that today's majority ethnic groups will no longer comprise a numerical majority in some countries.[37]

In 2011, almost a quarter of new EU citizens were Moroccans, Turks, Ecuadorian or Indians. The new citizens in the old EU27 in 2011 came mainly from Africa (26% of the total number of citizenships acquired), Asia (23%), non-EU27 Europe (19%), North and South America (17%) or another EU27 Member State (11%). In 2011, the largest groups that acquired citizenship of an EU27 Member State were citizens of Morocco (64 300 persons, of which 55% acquired citizenship of France or Spain), Turkey (48 900, 58% acquired German citizenship), Ecuador (33 700, 95% acquired Spanish citizenship) and India (31 700, 83% acquired British citizenship).[38]

In 2012, 34.3 million foreign citizens lived in the old 27 European Union member states, accounting for 6.8% of the European Union population,[39] of whom 20.5 million were third country nationals (i.e. nationals of non-EU countries). The number of foreign-born (which includes those who have naturalised or are dual nationals) was 48.9 million or 9.7 per cent of the total population.[40]

A total of 8.0 million citizens from European countries outside of the old EU-27 were residing in the EU at the beginning of 2012; among these more than half were citizens of Turkey, Albania or Ukraine. The next biggest group was from Africa (24.5%), followed by Asia (22.0%), the Americas (14.2%) and Oceania (0.8%). Romanians (living in another EU Member State) and Turkish citizens made up the biggest groups of non-nationals living in the EU-27 in 2012. There were 4.4 million Romanian citizens living outside of Romania within the EU-27 and 2.3 million Turkish citizens living in the EU-27; each of these two groups of people accounted for 7.0% of all foreigners living in the EU-27 in 2012. The third largest group was Moroccans (1.9 million people, or 5.6% of all foreigners).[41]

Approximately 20 million non-Europeans live in the EU, 4% of the overall population prior to Brexit.[42]

Age structure: (2006 est.)

Birth rate: 10.9 births/1,000 population (2008)[43]

Death rate: 9.7 deaths/1,000 population (2008)[43]

Net migration rate: 3.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2008)[43]

Marriage rate: 4.9 marriages/1,000 population (2007)[43]

Divorce rate: 2.0 divorces/1,000 population (2005)[44]

Sex ratio: (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate: (2005)[44]

Life expectancy: (2005)[44]

Total fertility rate: 1.59 children born/woman 2009[45]

Live Births outside marriage: 40% of total live births in 2012[46]

The demographics of the member states of the European Union:

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Demographics of the European Union - Wikipedia

The European Union on Wednesday unveiled sweeping new legislation to help meet its pledge to cut emissions of the gases that cause global warming by 55% over this decade. Virginia Mayo/AP hide caption

The European Union on Wednesday unveiled sweeping new legislation to help meet its pledge to cut emissions of the gases that cause global warming by 55% over this decade.

BRUSSELS The European Union unveiled sweeping new legislation Wednesday to help meet its pledge to cut emissions of the gases that cause global warming by 55% over this decade, including a controversial plan to tax foreign companies for the pollution they cause.

The legislation presented by the EU's executive branch, the European Commission, encompasses about a dozen major proposals, ranging from the de-facto phasing out of gasoline and diesel cars by 2035 to new levies on gases from heating buildings.

They involve a revamp of the bloc's emissions trading program, under which companies pay for carbon dioxide they emit, and introduce taxes on shipping and aviation fuels for the first time.

Most of the proposals build on existing laws that were designed to meet the EU's old goal of a 40% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 1990 levels and must be endorsed by the 27 member countries and EU lawmakers.

World leaders agreed six years ago in Paris to work to keep global temperatures from increasing more than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), and ideally no more than 1.5 degrees C (2.7 F) by the end of the century. Scientists say both goals will be missed by a wide margin unless drastic steps are taken to reduce emissions.

"The principle is simple: emission of CO2 must have a price, a price on CO2 that incentivizes consumers, producers and innovators to choose the clean technologies, to go toward the clean and sustainable products," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.

The commission wants to exploit the public mood for change provoked by the COVID-19 pandemic. It's already channeling more than one-third of a massive recovery package aimed at reviving European economies ravaged by coronavirus restrictions into climate-oriented goals.

The aim of the "Fit for 55" legislation, commission officials say, is to ween the continent off fossil fuels and take better care of the environment by policy design, rather than be forced into desperate measures at some future climatic tipping point, when it's all but too late.

European Commission Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans said that by failing to act now, "we would fail our children and grandchildren, who in my view, if we don't fix this, will be fighting wars over water and food."

Given the implications, the proposals are certain to be subject to intense lobbying from industry and environmental groups as they pass through the legislative process over at least the next year. They'll also face resistance because of the very different energy mixes in member countries, ranging from coal-reliant Poland to nuclear-dependent France.

Germany's environment minister, Svenja Schulze, said negotiations need to focus on maintaining the ambitious targets in a reliable way, be fair to the poor and ensure all of Europe "goes down this path together."

"National solo efforts won't lead to the goal," she said. "There needs to be a coordinated, massive expansion of sun and wind power from the North Sea to the Mediterranean."

Echoing the thoughts of some climate scientists, Oxfam EU head Evelien van Roemburg urged the member countries and lawmakers to be more ambitious than the European Commission.

"They must step up ambition by ensuring all EU climate rules contribute to carbon emission cuts of at least 65% in 2030, rather than the current 55%," she said.

Among the legislation's most controversial elements is a plan for a "Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism." It would impose duties on foreign companies and therefore increase the price of certain goods, notably steel, aluminum, concrete and fertilizer.

The aim is to ease pressure on European producers that cut emissions but struggle to compete with importers that don't have the same environmental restrictions.

The question is how the EU known for its staunch defense of open trade will ensure that the carbon tax complies with World Trade Organization rules and not be considered a protectionist measure.

Another concern is the need to help those likely to be hit by rising energy prices. The commission is proposing the creation of a "social climate fund" worth several billion euros to help those who might be hardest hit.

"This fund will support income and it will support investments to tackle energy poverty and to cut bills for vulnerable households and small businesses," von der Leyen said.

But Martha Myers, a member of the climate justice team at Friends of the Earth Europe, said the decision to extend emissions trading to buildings "throws low-income people into high energy price waters while offering only a swimming float of support to relieve energy poverty."

Under Fit for 55, a drastic acceleration in sales of battery-powered cars also is likely as the EU aims for a 100% reduction in auto emissions.

Hildegard Mueller, president of the German Association of the Automobile Industry, said the industry supports the EU goal of reaching climate neutrality by 2050. But she said that goal can only be accomplished "if the consumers and companies can implement these goals."

Mueller warned of a "substantial" impact on jobs at auto suppliers that would struggle with the pace of the changeover.

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European Union Unveils Climate Plan To Cut Emissions By 55% This Decade - NPR

Located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Central Asia plays a strategic role in promoting Euro Asian connectivity, fostering peace and regional security. The EU, together with partners, contributes to these efforts and supports a broad range of sustainable connectivity projects in Central Asia and Afghanistan. Cross border cooperation, energy connections, as well as people-to-people contacts bring benefits to the countries of the region.

The Border Management Programme together to security and sustainable development

One of the most successful regional programmes supported by the EU is the Border Management Programme in Central Asia (BOMCA). Since 2003, it is providing support in the five Central Asian States to address regional border security challenges. The Programme aims to improve cross-border cooperation and border management systems, strengthen institutional capacities and facilitate trade, based on international standards and best EU practice.

Since April 2021, the 10th phase of the programme, BOMCA 10, integrates Afghanistan, acknowledging the importance of border security in the country for the stability of the whole region. The EU-funded programme in Central Asia and Afghanistan (EUR 21.7 million) aims at improving border management, enhancing the fight against drug smuggling and trafficking as well as facilitating movement of goods and cargo across the borders to promote intra-regional trade. Building on the success of the previous phases, BOMCA 10 will boost connectivity in the region and will play a key role in fostering regional dialogue and ensuring peace and security in the region.

More than 3,300 state officials from the Central Asian beneficiary agencies were already engaged in BOMCA 9, and 223 individual activities were completed between 2015 and 2020. The Central Asian countries have benefited from assistance with the surveillance and control type equipment for the border checkpoints and modern technologies for the training entities. At the start of COVID-19 pandemic, BOMCA also gave its support and provided protective equipment for border guards.

Supporting the Economic Empowerment of Afghan Women through Education and Training

In Afghanistan, due to poverty, gender stereotypes, harmful social norms or security concerns, girls face challenges in accessing education. As they grow up, women face disproportionate barriers to education compared to men and endure persisting stereotypes that prevent them from attending university, realising their potential and pursuing economic opportunities. Less than 30 percent of the labour force in Afghanistan are women.

*So many obstacles had to be overcome on my path to acquiring a technical degree. I am convinced that if women push forward hard enough, they have the power to change the world and to make it a better place for today and for future generations*, says Asifa Afzali, an Afghan student from the Mining Faculty at Satbayev University, Almaty.

The EU-funded project on Empowering Afghan Women, implemented by the UNDP helps them fulfil their dreams and aspirations. Until 2025, 50 Afghan women will receive scholarships to pursue degree studies in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, and complete their studies. Women, participating in the programme, will be equipped with adequate employment skills. They will enhance their employability and increase their chances of getting decent jobs. Upon returning to their homeland, empowered women will have the potential to contribute to Afghanistans economy and their livelihoods.

The Central Asia-South Asia Electricity Transmission Project improving electricity access for greater living conditions and development

In Central Asia, the Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan have some of the worlds most abundant clean hydropower resources, enabling them to enjoy a surplus of electricity during the summer season. On the contrary, the South Asian countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan suffer from chronic electricity shortages and struggle to meet their citizens electricity needs, facing a growing demand. Altogether, non-access to electricity and frequent power cuts are detrimental to the citizens quality of life, business and industry.

The Central Asia-South Asia Electricity Transmission Project (CASA-1000), supported by the European Investment Bank (EIB) and other lending institutions, connects the four countries to create the conditions for sustainable electricity trade and regional autonomy. CASA-1000 helps the two Central Asian countries to make the most efficient use of clean hydropower resources through the transfer and sell of their electricity surplus. The project includes construction of high voltage transmission infrastructure as well as technical assistance and community support programs.

By enabling to fill the electricity supply gaps in the South Asian countries and increasing export revenues for Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, the project helps alleviate poverty in some of the poorest parts of the world and encourage economic growth. It complements the countries efforts to improve electricity access, integrate, and expand markets to increase trade. The project enhances energy security and regional stability, and paves the way for the creation of a regional electricity market.

The EU stands committed to maintaining this level of engagement in the region and supporting its partners with its expertise, investment, norms and standards, for the benefit of the people and of the region.

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The European Union supports better interconnections in Central Asia and Afghanistan - Afghanistan - ReliefWeb

Leader of Civic Platform (PO) party Donald Tusk attends a news conference in Warsaw, Poland July 4, 2021. Slawomir Kaminski/Agencja Gazeta via REUTERS

WARSAW, July 16 (Reuters) - Poland and Hungary's conflicts with the European Union could start a process that results in the bloc falling apart, former European Council President Donald Tusk warned on Friday, amid a worsening standoff over democratic standards.

Brussels is at loggerheads with Warsaw and Budapest over issues such as the independence of the judiciary and press freedoms, a conflict which deepened this week as Poland's Constitutional Tribunal ruled the country should not comply with demands from the EU's top court, while the European Commission took legal action against both countries over LGBT rights. read more

"If more of these kinds of countries are found who insist on damaging... the European Union it may simply mean the end of this organisation," Tusk, who has returned to domestic politics as leader of Poland's main opposition party Civic Platform (PO), told private broadcaster TVN24.

Surveys show an overwhelming majority of Poles support EU membership, and there is no legal way to throw countries out of the bloc.

However Tusk, who helped steer the European Union through a tumultuous period marked by Brexit, said the risk of an eventual exit existed.

"We will not leave the EU tomorrow, and the EU will not fall apart the day after tomorrow. These are processes that can take years," he said.

The European Union's top court ruled on Thursday that Poland should suspend a disciplinary chamber for judges it says fails to meet the necessary standards of independence.

A day earlier the Polish Constitutional Tribunal ruled a previous demand for the chamber's suspension ran counter to Poland's constitution and the country should not comply.

On Friday, the first president of Poland's Supreme Court, Malgorzata Manowska, issued a statement in which she said she was "deeply convinced" that the disciplinary chamber was independent.

Reporting by Alan CharlishEditing by Alistair Bell

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Poland's Tusk says conflicts with EU could eventually end the bloc - Reuters

Who is paying?

Ireland is to receive 1 billion in grants largely over the next two years from a European Union stimulus fund designed to counteract the damage of the Covid-19 pandemic and make economies more green and digital.

Plans for how to spend the money, including on Cork commuter rail, peat restoration, and unemployment re-training programmes were unveiled as European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen visited Dublin on Friday.

But what is the scheme and how does it all work?

Ireland is to receive 914 million for 2021-2022 and a further roughly 75 million after that. The latter sum is calculated depending on how the economy fares due to the Covid-19 pandemic, so can change.

The money is in the form of grants, not loans, and so does not need to be directly repaid to the European Commission. It is Irelands slice of a massive EU 750 billion stimulus package.

There are no net payers or net beneficiaries of this programme as of now. It is not like the EU budget, into which each member state contributes funds, and to which Ireland has been a net contributor since 2013.

It is based on joint borrowing: the first time this has ever been done by the EU.

The European Commission is currently raising funds on the financial markets at historically low interest rates to distribute as the stimulus money to member states. The Commission loans are due for repayment between 2027 and 2058.

The executive has proposed several initiatives to raise revenue to allow it to repay the loans directly without the need for member state contributions. These include an extension of an emissions trading system, which makes polluters pay for the emissions they release; a levy on imports into the EU that are made to lower environmental standards; a single market tax on the largest companies; and a tax on digital multinationals though this has been put on pause.

If these options are not adequate, the 27 EU member states will collectively pay back the borrowing. What percentage each member state will repay will be calculated in a similar way to the EU budget: based on each countrys gross national income year-by-year.

It is impossible to know in advance the relative size of each countrys gross national income in the future. How much the Commission will be able to repay directly through its proposed levies is also unknown. For this reason, it is not possible to calculate now how much the fund will cost Ireland, compared to how much it receives. In addition, the plan as a whole, including its positive impacts on the economies of other EU member states, is expected to increase the size of Irelands economy.

The proportion each country receives was calculated based on economic performance going into the pandemic, and on the impact of the crisis on GDP.

Ireland had the fastest-growing economy in the EU for some years and a relatively low unemployment rate. Once Covid-19 struck, it was the only economy to grow in the EU in 2020, supported by strong multinational exports. For this reason, Irelands allocation of funds is among the smallest in the EU.

The countries set for the highest allocations are those that had underlying economic weaknesses going into the pandemic, and which were hit hardest by the crisis, particularly due to tourism and hospitality forming a large part of their economy. Italy is set to receive 68.9 billion in grants, Spain 69.5 billion, Greece 17.8 billion and Portugal 13.9 billion.

Member states agreed rules about spending in advance. At least 37 per cent had to be spend on climate initiatives (Irelands percentage is 40 per cent); a fifth had to go on digitalisation (Irelands is 32 per cent). No spending could do any harm to environmental goals.

Each country produced a plan within these rules, while committing to implement existing recommendations for reforms by the Commission (for Ireland, this includes measures to tackle aggressive tax planning, provide more affordable housing, and implement Slintecare).

The idea behind the spending is that it should make countries economies fitter for the future. Each country can claim 13 per cent of grants up front, and then must demonstrate targets met to qualify for more.

There are concerns among some member states about whether the money will be well spent. Hungarys plan is currently held up; the Commission has not approved it due to concerns about insufficient safeguards against corruption.

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Q&A: What is the European Union stimulus fund and who is paying for it? - The Irish Times