Bulgaria will suffer the worst population decrease within the EU according to EUROSTAT data. Photo by Yuliana Nikolova (Sofia Photo Agency)
Bulgaria's population is going to drop by 28,2% by 2060 when it will be 5 485 000, according to a Eurostat survey.
These figures rank Bulgaria first in population decrease in the EU. Over the same period Latvia's population is predicted to drop by 25,9%, Lithuania's - by 24,3%,
Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Slovenia and Slovakia will be hit hardest by the aging of their population as the number of persons over 65 years of age there will soar.
At the same Ireland's population is projected to grow by 53%, Cyprus's - by 66%, and UK's - by 25%. The UK is even expected to overtake Germany as EU's most populous country with 76 million people in 2060 compared to Germany's estimate at 70,7 million.
EU's population, which currently stands at 495 million, is expected to be at 506 million in 2060 after it reaches a peak at about 521 million in 2035.