By the end of the century, Luxembourg will become the country with the highest population growth among all EU countries, LuxTimes reports.
According to a report published on Thursday by the EU’s official statistics agency, the population of the Grand Duchy will increase from more than 645,000 in 2022 to more than 997,000 by 2100, representing a growth rate of 54.5%.
By the middle of the century, Luxembourg’s population is expected to grow to just under 900,000, after which growth will slow down. The projected population growth trends reflect the trends of recent years: the 2023 census data show that in the decade since 2011, the total population of the country has grown more than 15 times faster than the overall population growth rate in the EU.
Luxembourg’s projected population growth contrasts sharply with most EU countries, 15 of which are expected to see their populations decline by the end of the century. Across the EU as a whole, the population will decline by more than 27 million over the same period.
According to Eurostat projections, by the end of the century, Luxembourg will no longer be one of the EU countries with the youngest population: the average age of a resident of the Grand Duchy will rise from 39 in 2022 to 50 by 2100.
Along with Malta, the country will also face the most significant decline in the working-age population (defined by Eurostat as people aged 15 to 64), which is expected to fall by almost 15% between 2022 and 2100.By the end of the century, the old-age dependency ratio is projected to exceed 50% for all EU countries, meaning that there will be less than two people of working age for every person aged 65 and over.
According to the data, there will be no changes in the ranking of the largest EU countries by population: Germany, France, Italy, Spain and Poland will remain the largest countries by 2100.
