Europe’s population is getting older, quickly. With more older people and less working-age people in the total population, a 2023 report from the European Union (EU) estimates that by 2050, about 30 percent of the European population will be over the age of 65 and there will be less than two working age adults for each elderly person. This equates to an old-age dependency ratio – the ratio of people aged 65 or older, to people aged 20-64 – of 56.7 percent. Compared to the 2021 old-age dependency ratio of 32.5 percent, these 2050 projections indicate an increasing trend of old-age dependency in the future.
By 2050, there are projected to be close to half a million centenarians in the EU.
While Europeans are living longer than ever before, in just ten years, the proportion of young people (aged 15-29) dropped from 18.1 percent in 2011 to 16.3 percent in 2021. This declining trend is estimated to continue.
These demographic shifts will likely have significant implications, not only for individuals, but also for governments, businesses, and civil society. They will affect health and social care systems, labor markets, public finances, and pension entitlements.
Women already outnumber men at older ages within the EU. In 2019, there were more than twice as many very old women (aged 85 years or more) as very old men. Due to their longer life expectancy, women often need more long-term care, while their pensions were on average 26.9 percent lower than men’s in 2021. This will require investments and adaptations to ensure accessibility for all and could make it harder for countries to sustain their pensions. The EU projects the total cost of aging, which stood at 24 percent of GDP in 2019, will rise by 1.9 percentage points of GDP by 2070.
Given these changing demographics, Europe's cities will increasingly need to position themselves as senior friendly, especially in terms of housing, mobility, safety, and health. Cities like Vienna are already demonstrating their commitments to creating an age-friendly environment. Vienna has a network of nursing and care services, comprehensive recreational activities, affordable housing, support and social benefits, low-threshold information, an accessible public transport network, and its own Senior Citizens’ Advocate for the city.
Explore these changing demographics in major European cities, including some cities outside the EU, in the map below.