Depopulation and population ageing in Europe in the 2010s: A regional approach

The paper analyses European countries and NUTS-3 units to determine which of them experienced depopulation in the 2010s, as well as the causes of this process. The progression of demographic ageing, particularly in countries and NTS3 units with annual population declines, is also examined. European countries and NTS3 units in selected years and periods between 2011 and 2020 are studied based on Eurostat vital statistics, data on migratory movements and population age structures using descriptive statistics, time-series methods, Webb’s method, and cluster analysis. The data and research results are illustrated with tables, graphs, and choropleth maps. In the 2010s, depopulation processes mainly occurred in Eastern and Southern Europe. The study found that between 2011 and 2020, eight countries (Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Romania, Serbia, and Ukraine) suffered population decreases annually, three countries (Albania, Lithuania, and Portugal) had only one or two years without a population loss, and four countries (Bulgaria, Croatia, Latvia, and Romania) were demographically the most disadvantaged as their populations decreased due to natural causes and migration in almost all years in the 2010s. Most of the annually depopulating countries were relatively similar in terms of the population age structure. NTS3 units with annual population declines and a similar population age structures were found within the same country or in neighbouring areas in adjacent countries.