Life expectancy

Life expectancy at birth has increased rapidly over the past century due to various factors (see Figure 4 below). As a result, the senior population is constantly growing, with the share of persons aged 65 and over in the EU rising from 16 % in 2003 to 21 % in 2023. It is projected that, by 2050, the share of people over 65 will account for 30 % of the population, compared to around 20 % nowadays. Furthermore, the share of persons aged 65 years and over has increased across the EU, rising from 16.2 % to 21.3 % over the past two decades. The EU’s natural population change has remained negative since 2012. Additionally, between 1 January 2003 and 1 January 2023 the share of persons aged 80 and over increased in EU Member States, with an overall increase of 2.3 % at EU level, reaching 6 % of the population. On the other hand, during the same period, the share of children and young adolescents aged below 15 decreased by 1.5 % at EU level, dropping from 16.4 % to 14.9 %.