About: demography

Croatia’s population drops nearly 10 percent in a decade

Croatia's population has shrunk by nearly 10% in the last decade due to an exodus fuelled by a flagging economy, the latest census showed Friday (14 January).

The long decline: mass migration batters Balkans

Abandoned shops and mostly empty streets offer few signs of life in North Macedonia's Valandovo, where young people are fleeing in large numbers hoping to find a better life abroad.

Bulgarian doctors exhausted as COVID deaths hit EU record

With coronavirus death rates surging to record levels in Bulgaria, doctors and nurses in a health service already weakened by decades of emigration to the West say they are exhausted.

Italy faces existential threat over low birthrate, president warns

Italy's future is threatened by its diminishing birthrate, President Sergio Mattarella said on Tuesday (11 February), as new data showed the population had shrunk once again in 2019.

How frontier research could be the answer to a more sustainable future

More frequent extreme weather events, increasing political nationalism and growing economic inequality are making sustainable development goals harder to achieve. EURACTIV looked at the work of four frontier researchers to explore how a more sustainable future could look like.

Cooperation of four key Commissioners needed for healthy media, democracy

Democracy is at risk and requires healthy media, several portfolios from the new EU Commission are relevant. After years of fake news and weak self-regulation, this ecosystem could be rebalanced if four key Commissioners cooperate around the media sector, argues Christophe Leclercq.

Orbán opens EU elections campaign, vows defence of ‘Christian’ Europe

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán launched his European elections campaign Sunday (10 February) calling for voters to defend "Christian" nations against immigration, which he said led to the "virus of terrorism".

Why do foreign investors leave Bulgaria as if it were the Titanic?

Despite being one of the most beautiful countries in the European Union, despite having talented and educated people, despite a favourable tax environment, Bulgaria is likely to stay as the poorest in the EU, and to continue losing its population, writes Blaga Thavard.

UNFPA: Inequality and lack of reproductive rights threaten development

Gender inequality, denial of reproductive rights and shortcomings in sexual education are becoming a possible threat to reach the UN development goals on ending poverty by 2030, a new report by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) finds.

Report: Rural areas key to economic growth in developing countries

Millions of young people in developing countries who are poised to enter the labour force in the coming decades need not flee rural areas to escape poverty, according to a new FAO report published on Monday (9 October), seen in advance by EURACTIV.com.

Countries set to lose MEPs as their population shrinks

Several EU countries are expected to suffer drastic cuts in their number of MEPs, while a few of them, including France, UK, Italy and Spain, will benefit from a boost, according to a new proposal seen by EURACTIV.

Bulgaria’s population shrinking at alarming rate

Bulgaria has lost 582,000 people over the last ten years, a nationwide census has revealed. The EU newcomer, who has now 7,351,633 inhabitants, has lost 1.5 million of its population since 1985, a record in depopulation not just for the EU, but by global standards too.