(ANSA) – BRUSSELS, FEBRUARY 22 – Italy is the oldest country in Europe with an average age of its citizens of 48 years. This is what emerges from a study by Eurostat, the European Statistical Office. On 1 January 2022 – according to data – the average age of the EU population increased by 0.3 years compared to 2021, reaching 44.4 years. Since 2012, the median age has increased by 2.5 years (0.25 years per year). This means that half of the EU population is over 44.4 years old, while the other half is younger.
Between 2012 and 2022, this indicator increased in all EU countries except Sweden, where it decreased from 40.8 years in 2012 to 40.7 years in 2022. In addition to the increase in median age, Eurostat also detected an increase in the EU old-age dependency ratio in 2022, understood as the ratio between the number of elderly people (aged 65 and over) and the number of people of working age (15-64 years).
Here too, the highest ratio was recorded in Italy (37.5%), followed by Finland (37.4%) and Portugal (37.2%), while the lowest in Luxembourg (21.3%). Overall, the EU old-age dependency ratio in 2022 was 33% in 2022, 0.5 percentage points higher than in 2021, indicating an increasing trend. (HANDLE).
breaking latest news © Copyright ANSA