The European Union passes the milestone of half a billion inhabitants

(BRUXELLES2) The result fell yesterday, from the crushing machines of Eurostat statistics. On 1 January 2010, the population of the EU27 is estimated at 501,1 million people, compared to 499,7 million on 1 January 2009.

The population of the EU27 grew by 1,4 million people in 2009, an annual rate of 2,7 per 1000 inhabitants. This increase results for one third from natural increase (births - 0,5 million people +1,0‰) and for two thirds from net migration (0,9 million +1,7‰). Compared to 2008: there is a slight decline in the crude birth rate?, while net migration has fallen more significantly.

The Irish, British, French and Swedish baby champions

The highest birth rates were recorded in Ireland (16,8‰), the United Kingdom (12,8‰), France (12,7‰), Cyprus (12,2‰) and Sweden (12,0‰) and the lowest in Germany (7,9‰), Austria (9,1‰), Portugal (9,4‰), Italy (9,5‰) and Latvia and in Hungary (9,6‰ each). Overall mortality is higher in central European countries. The natural balance (births - deaths) is thus the highest in Ireland (+10,2‰). France (+4,3‰) ranks 3rd, just after Cyprus (+5,5‰), and ahead of Luxembourg (+4,0‰) and the United Kingdom (+3,7‰). Germany is at the bottom of the table (-2,3‰) ahead of Hungary (-3,4‰), Bulgaria and Latvia (-3,6‰).

(NVP)

Decision-Making Statistics (Analysis)

The milestone of half a billion is symbolic externally. It remains far from the billion exceeded by China or India but also far ahead of the United States (310 million), Brazil (200 million), Russia (140 million) or Japan (120 million).

These statistics also have an internal importance, in terms of power relations, in the more or less long term. The calculation of the double majority (begun with the Treaty of Nice, reinforced with the Treaty of Lisbon) is, in fact, done according to these statistics. It is thus interesting to observe that, with demographic dynamics, the gap between France and Germany is tending to narrow, by around 600.000 inhabitants per year (3/4 due to the increase in the French population, 1/4 due to growth). If this rate continues, within a quarter of a century, the Franco-German couple will have an equal voice in the Council! Pure fiction perhaps...

As for the distribution of seats in the European Parliament, which are now distributed to each legislature (by virtue of a resolution of October 2007 according to the principle of degressive proportionality), it could also vary and grant to France (as to Spain), at least one more seat, from the next legislature (2014-2019).