IRELAND EXPERIENCED the highest natural population growth rate of all 27 EU countries last year, meaning that it recorded the highest rate of live births when compared to recorded deaths.
The latest Eurostat report on population and social conditions shows that, overall, the European Union’s population has risen to 502.5 million as measured on January 1st, 2011.
This represents a total population growth of 1.4 million throughout the EU when compared to a year earlier, taking into account both natural change – the number of births minus the number of deaths – and migration.
In total, 5.35 million children were born in the 27 EU member states during 2010, representing a crude rate of 10.7 births per 1,000 population.
At the same time, 4.85 million deaths were recorded, representing a crude rate of 9.7 deaths per 1,000 inhabitants.
The report notes that the gap between the number of births and deaths in EU member states has narrowed considerably since 1960, and envisages that, in future, “as the baby boom generation moves into retirement and assuming the fertility rate remains relatively low”, the EU may experience more deaths than births.
However, this is not yet a consideration in the Irish context where some 73,900 births were recorded last year compared to just 27,900 deaths in the same period.
In statistical terms, this means that the rate of natural change in Ireland stands at 10.3 per 1,000 inhabitants, almost twice that of Cyprus, which recorded the second-highest natural change at 5.7 per 1,000 inhabitants.
Conversely, eight member states experienced more deaths than births, including Latvia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Germany and Romania. Ireland had the highest birth rate in the EU last year while the lowest rate was recorded in Germany.
However, the latest Eurostat figures reveal that Ireland experienced the second-highest emigration rate across Europe, measured at a decrease of 7.5 persons per 1,000 inhabitants.
Lithuania is listed as having the highest emigration rate, with net migration recorded at a decrease of 25 persons per 1,000 inhabitants last year, by far the highest rate recorded. However, the report cautions that, due to administrative reasons, this statistic may represent emigration in Lithuania over a number of years.
Overall, 20 member states saw population figures grow, while they decreased in the other seven.
The highest population growth rate when net migration is factored in occurred in Luxembourg, followed by Sweden, Malta, Belgium and the United Kingdom.
Overall population decreases were recorded in Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Portugal, Romania and Bulgaria.
Eurostat is the statistical office of the European Union.