Europe

Europe Overview

Of the world’s five regions, Europe has the lowest fertility rate and is the only one projected to see a decline in total population by 2050. The region consists of Eastern Europe, Northern Europe, Southern Europe, and Western Europe.

More than half of all European countries experienced negative rates of natural increase in 2024, meaning their populations had more deaths than births. With an average total fertility rate (TFR) of 1.4, the region’s fertility falls below the replacement level of 2.1, or the average number of children a couple must have to replace themselves in the next generation. More than a third of the region’s countries have a TFR at or below 1.3. These combined factors contribute to Europe’s expected decline in total population by 2%, from 747 million in 2024 to 733 million in 2050. The region also has the world’s oldest population, with adults ages 65 and older accounting for one in five (20%) of the total population. Future population size will likely be determined mainly by international migration.