Thailand-Cambodia border crisis traces roots 'to pre-colonial Southeast Asia"
24/07/2025
EU-China ties hit 'inflection point' and calls climate chage 'a priority'
Europe
24/07/2025
EU says China's links with Russia now 'determining factor' in ties
Europe
24/07/2025
EU tariffs on chinese EVs strain trade and diplomatic ties with Beijing
Economy
24/07/2025
Thailand and Cambodia clash with jets and rockets in deadly border row
Asia / Pacific
24/07/2025
At least 12 people killed as Thai, Cambodian border tensions spiral
Asia / Pacific
24/07/2025
Thailand F-16 jet bombs Cambodian targets as border clash escalates
Asia / Pacific
24/07/2025
Thailand and Cambodia border closed after weeks of tensions
Asia / Pacific
24/07/2025
Xi urges deeper China-EU trust as Brussels calls for 'real solutions'
Asia / Pacific
22/07/2025
Bangladesh plane crash kills at least 27, including 25 children
Asia / Pacific
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Local France
18 minutes ago
- Local France
In Numbers: How the populations of European countries have changed
The EU population grew by almost 1.1 million in 2024, reaching an estimated 450.4 million residents on January 1st 2025, according to data published by the European statistical office Eurostat. The year 2024 was the fourth consecutive year of population growth in the EU, after a drop recorded during the pandemic. The increase is largely due to net migration (the difference between the number of people arriving and those leaving) rather than natural change (the difference between births and deaths). Only six EU countries – France and Sweden, together with Ireland, Cyprus, Luxembourg and Malta – recorded more births than deaths, in addition to positive net migration. Effects of migration Historically, the difference between births and deaths in the EU was positive – yet slowing – until 2011. Since 2012, more deaths than births were recorded but the total EU population has kept increasing due to positive net migration. Only during the Covid-19 pandemic was the negative natural change not compensated by migration, Eurostat says. In 2024, deaths (4.82 million) outnumbered births (3.56 million), resulting in a negative natural change of 1.3 million people. On the other hand, positive net migration was 2.3 million, lower than the almost 3 million of 2022. These factors together made up for a population increase of 1,070,702. On a country level, 19 EU member states saw their population growing while eight saw a decline. The highest growth rates compared to the total population were recorded in Malta (the smallest EU country by population, at 0.6 million), Portugal and Ireland. Denmark was the only EU country with zero natural change and its population was stable at around 5.9 million. Advertisement Except for Latvia, where people emigrating keep outnumbering those immigrating, all EU countries had positive net migration in 2024. In 13 EU countries (Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Spain, Croatia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Slovenia and Finland), this was the reason for population growth. Largest countries Germany, France and Italy are the largest EU countries by population (19 percent, 15 percent and 13 percent respectively, and comprise almost half of all EU residents. In 2024, Germany had 83.5 million inhabitants compared to 83.4 in 2023, France 68.6 million compared to 68.4 the previous year, and Italy 59.7 million people, a slight decrease over 2023. Spain follows with 49 million people, compared to 48.6 in 2023. In Sweden, the total population reached 10.5 million, and Austria 9.1 million, both representing a slight increase compared to 2023. Norway followed a similar trend, at 5.5 million, and Switzerland's population reached 9 million people, compared to 8.9 in 2023. Advertisement Countries losing population In 2024, the population declined in eight EU countries (Bulgaria, Estonia, Italy, Latvia, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia), as the negative natural change was not offset by immigration. The largest declines were recorded in Latvia, Hungary, Poland and Estonia. Latvia was the only country with both negative natural change and negative net migration. Future trend The EU population grew by about 0.9 million each year between 2005 and 2024, compared to 3 million per year during the 1960s. In 1960, the population of the current EU countries was 354.5 million. In the future, due to the ageing population, the number of deaths is expected to further increase, and if fertility rates remain at current levels, the negative natural change could continue . This is in line with a global trend with a growing number of older adults and fewer under 25, according to an analysis by the Pew Research Centre . This also shows that Europe's median age is 43, making it the oldest region in the world.
Euronews
2 hours ago
- Euronews
Von der Leyen and Trump strike EU-US trade deal to avert tariff war
The European Union and the United States have struck a tentative trade deal to avert a potentially devastating tariff war between two of the world's largest economies, capping a race against time before a self-imposed deadline of 1 August. Under the agreed terms, finalised on Sunday by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and US President Donald Trump during a meeting in Scotland, the majority of EU exports bound for the American market will be slapped with a 15% tariff. "I think it's great we made a deal today instead of playing games," Trump said at the end of the meeting. "I think it's the biggest deal ever made." "We have a trade deal between the two largest economies in the world. And it's a big deal. It's a huge deal," von der Leyen said. "It will bring stability, it will bring predictability. That's very important for businesses on both sides of the Atlantic." This is a developing story.
LeMonde
4 hours ago
- LeMonde
EU chief to Zelensky: Keep anti-graft bodies independent
The president of the European Commission urged Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday, July 27, to preserve the independence of anti-corruption organizations, after a row last week over Kyiv's move to curb their powers. Ursula von der Leyen said she had held good talks with the leader of Ukraine, a country she said had "already achieved a lot on its European path." "It must build on these solid foundations and preserve independent anti-corruption bodies, which are cornerstones of Ukraine's rule of law," she added in a post on X. Ukraine sparked a firestorm of criticism on Tuesday after its parliament voted to revoke the autonomy of two anti-corruption agencies. The EU at the time described the move as a "serious step back," with critics saying it would enable the government to meddle in high-profile graft cases. Von der Leyen herself demanded "explanations" from Zelensky, a rare rebuke from Brussels that came as Kyiv is pushing to join the 27-nation EU. The move sparked unprecedented protests in Kyiv, and Zelensky backtracked two days later, announcing new laws to guarantee the independence of the anti-graft bodies. The EU was quick to welcome that action, saying the fight against corruption was "an extremely important priority for us and for Ukraine as well." "Ukraine can count on our support to deliver progress on its European path," said von der Leyen on Sunday in her post on X.
