As a comparison, the population of the US increased by 0.9% (294.4 million on 1 January 2005), that of Japan by 0.1% (127.4 million), while in Russia it decreased by 0.5% (143.5 million). The world’s two most populous countries recorded a population growth: China rose by 0.6% (1 302.6 million on 1 January 2005) and India by 1.4% (1 072.7 million).

These figures come from a report³ published jointly by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities, and the Council of Europe, providing figures on the EU25 and its Member States, other Council of Europe Member States and other major countries.

Population change ranged from -6.0‰ in Lithuania to +25.4‰ in Cyprus

In 2004, the population increased in most EU25 Member States. The largest increases were recorded in Cyprus⁴ (+25.4 per 1000), Ireland (+20.0‰) and Spain⁵ (+16.2‰). The population fell in Lithuania (-6.0‰), Latvia (-5.5‰), Estonia (-3.0‰), Hungary (-1.9‰), Germany and Poland (both -0.4‰).

Within the EU25, the highest rates of natural increase (i.e. the difference between the number of live births and deaths, per thousand inhabitants) were observed in Ireland (+8.6‰), France¹ and Cyprus⁴ (both +4.2‰), Luxembourg (+4.1‰) and the Netherlands (+3.5‰), compared to an EU25 average of +1.0‰. The largest rates of natural decrease were observed in Latvia (-5.1‰), Hungary (-3.7‰) and Lithuania (-3.2‰).

In 2004, net migration in the EU25 was +4.0 per 1000 inhabitants. Cyprus⁴ (+21.3‰), Spain⁵ (+14.3‰) and Ireland (+11.4‰) registered the highest rates. Positive net migration was recorded in all Member States except Lithuania (-2.8‰), the Netherlands (-0.6‰), Latvia (-0.5‰), Estonia and Poland (both -0.2‰).

Slight increase in the total fertility rate in the EU25

The fertility rate⁶ (i.e. average number of children per woman) in the EU25 is estimated to have increased from 1.48 in 2003 to 1.50 in 2004. The corresponding rate for the US in 2004 was 2.07. The highest fertility rates were found in Ireland (1.99), followed by France (1.90), Finland (1.80) and Denmark (1.78). No Member State, however, reached the replacement level of 2.1. The lowest fertility rates were found in Slovenia (1.22), followed by the Czech Republic and Poland (both 1.23), Latvia (1.24) and Slovakia (1.25).

Highest share of births outside marriage in the north

In the EU25, 31.6% of the total live births took place outside marriage in 2004. Among the Member States, the highest shares were found in Estonia (57.8% in 2003), Sweden (55.4%), Denmark (45.4%), Latvia (45.3%), France (45.2% in 2003), Slovenia (43.5%) and the United Kingdom (42.3%), while Cyprus⁴ (3.3%), Greece (4.9%), Italy (14.9%) and Poland (17.2%) recorded the lowest shares.

Population in Europe 2004 - First results - Issue number 15/2005

1. Data for France, as well as for the EU25 excludes DOMs (Overseas Departments).
2. Population estimates for 1 January 2004 have been slightly revised and differ from those previously published.
3. Eurostat, Statistics in Focus, Population and Social Conditions, 15/2005, "Population in Europe 2004 – First results".
4. Government controlled area only.
5. The net-migration figures for Spain and Italy are inflated by regularisation programmes: the figures on inward migration that the two countries have reported for 2004 include migrants that have arrived in earlier years.
6. The total fertility rate is the average number of children that would be born alive to a woman during her lifetime if she were to pass through all childbearing years conforming to the age-specific fertility rates of a given year.

Population change in 2004 (1000 inhabitants) Population 1.1.2004 Live births Deaths Natural increase Net migration Total increase Population 1.1.2005 EU251 457 188.9 4 792.6 4 348.0 444.5 1 852.3 2 296.9 459 485.8 Eurozone 308 974.2 3 213.7 2 843.8 369.9 1 579.4 1 949.2 310 923.5 Belgium 10 396.4 116.0 102.0 14.0 35.4 49.4 10 445.9 Czech Republic 10 211.5 97.7 107.2 -9.5 18.6 9.1 10 220.6 Denmark 5 397.6 64.4 55.8 8.6 5.2 13.8 5 411.4 Germany 82 531.7 705.6 818.3 -112.6 81.8 -30.8 82 500.8 Estonia 1 351.1 14.0 17.8 -3.8 -0.2 -4.1 1 347.0 Greece 11 040.7 101.5 104.0 -2.5 34.9 32.4 11 073.0 Spain5 42 345.3 453.3 370.7 82.6 610.1 692.7 43 038.0 France1 60 200.0 764.7 508.5 256.2 105.0 361.2 60 561.2 Ireland 4 027.7 64.5 29.4 35.1 46.4 81.5 4 109.2 Italy5 57 888.2 562.6 546.7 15.9 558.2 574.1 58 462.4 Cyprus4 730.4 8.3 5.2 3.1 15.7 18.8 749.2 Latvia 2 319.2 20.3 32.0 -11.7 -1.1 -12.8 2 306.4 Lithuania 3 445.9 30.4 41.3 -10.9 -9.6 -20.5 3 425.3 Luxembourg 451.6 5.5 3.6 1.9 1.5 3.4 455.0 Hungary 10 116.7 95.1 132.5 -37.4 18.2 -19.2 10 097.5 Malta 399.9 3.9 3.0 0.9 1.9 2.8 402.7 Netherlands 16 258.0 194.0 136.6 57.5 -10.0 47.5 16 305.5 Austria 8 140.1 79.0 74.3 4.7 61.7 66.4 8 206.5 Poland 38 190.6 356.1 363.5 -7.4 -9.4 -16.8 38 173.8 Portugal 10 474.7 109.3 102.3 7.0 47.6 54.6 10 529.3 Slovenia 1 996.4 17.9 18.6 -0.7 1.9 1.2 1 997.6 Slovakia 5 380.1 53.7 51.9 1.9 2.9 4.8 5 384.8 Finland 5 219.7 57.8 47.6 10.2 6.7 16.9 5 236.6 Sweden 8 975.7 100.9 90.5 10.4 25.3 35.7 9 011.4 United Kingdom 59 699.7 716.0 584.8 131.2 203.6 334.8 60 034.5 Bulgaria 7 801.3 69.9 110.1 -40.2 0.0 -40.2 7 761.0 Croatia 4 441.3 40.3 49.8 -9.4 11.6 2.1 4 443.4 Romania 21 711.3 216.3 258.9 -42.6 -10.1 -52.7 21 658.5 Turkey 70 694.0 1 360.0 443.0 917.0 0.0 917.0 71 611.0 USA 291 685.1 4 140.5 2 443.9 1 696.6 999.2 2 695.8 294 380.9 Japan 127 273.8 1 217.3 1 114.2 103.1 -1.8 101.4 127 375.1 Russia 144 168.0 1 502.5 2 295.4 -792.9 98.9 -694.0 143 474.0 China 1 295 171.8 16 859.0 8 988.0 7 871.0 -462.1 7 408.9 1 302 580.7 India 1 057 385.4 24 283.6 8 925.3 15 358.3 -76.2 15 282.1 1 072 667.5 The table contains estimated data that should be considered as provisional Sources: Eurostat, Council of Europe, US Census Bureau Rates of population change (per 1000 population) Natural increase Net migration Total increase 1980 2003 2004 1980 2003 2004 1980 2003 2004 EU251 3.2 0.4 1.0 1.2 4.3 4.0 4.4 4.7 5.0 Eurozone 2.7 0.6 1.2 2.0 5.6 5.1 4.7 6.2 6.3 Belgium 1.1 0.5 1.3 -0.2 3.4 3.4 0.8 3.9 4.7 Czech Republic 1.8 -1.7 -0.9 -4.0 2.5 1.8 -2.2 0.8 0.9 Denmark 0.3 1.3 1.6 0.1 1.3 1.0 0.4 2.6 2.5 Germany -1.1 -1.8 -1.4 3.9 1.7 1.0 2.8 -0.1 -0.4 Estonia 2.7 -3.8 -2.8 4.1 0.1 -0.2 6.8 -3.7 -3.0 Greece 6.3 -0.1 -0.2 5.2 3.2 3.2 11.5 3.1 2.9 Spain5 7.5 1.3 1.9 3.0 14.9 14.3 10.5 16.2 16.2 France1 4.7 3.5 4.2 0.8 2.2 1.7 5.5 5.7 6.0 Ireland 11.9 8.2 8.6 -0.2 7.9 11.4 11.8 16.0 20.0 Italy5 1.5 -0.7 0.3 0.1 10.6 9.6 1.6 9.8 9.9 Cyprus4 11.1 4.0 4.2 0.4 17.1 21.3 11.5 21.1 25.4 Latvia 1.4 -4.9 -5.1 1.0 -0.4 -0.5 2.3 -5.3 -5.5 Lithuania 4.7 -3.0 -3.2 0.6 -1.8 -2.8 5.3 -4.8 -6.0 Luxembourg 0.2 2.8 4.1 3.7 4.6 3.4 3.8 7.3 7.5 Hungary 0.3 -4.1 -3.7 -0.7 1.5 1.8 -0.4 -2.5 -1.9 Malta 7.4 2.2 2.2 -19.1 4.3 4.8 -11.8 6.5 7.0 Netherlands 4.7 3.6 3.5 3.6 0.4 -0.6 8.3 4.0 2.9 Austria -0.2 0.0 0.6 1.2 4.7 7.6 1.0 4.7 8.1 Poland 9.6 -0.4 -0.2 -0.6 -0.4 -0.2 9.0 -0.7 -0.4 Portugal 6.5 0.4 0.7 4.3 6.1 4.5 10.8 6.4 5.2 Slovenia 5.8 -1.1 -0.4 2.9 1.8 0.9 8.7 0.7 0.6 Slovakia 8.9 -0.1 0.4 -2.3 0.3 0.5 6.6 0.2 0.9 Finland 3.9 1.5 1.9 -0.5 1.1 1.3 3.4 2.6 3.2 Sweden 0.6 0.7 1.2 1.2 3.2 2.8 1.8 3.9 4.0 United Kingdom 1.6 1.4 2.2 -0.6 2.5 3.4 1.0 4.0 5.6 Bulgaria 3.4 -5.7 -5.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 3.4 -5.7 -5.2 Croatia 3.9 -2.9 -2.1 0.2 2.7 2.6 4.1 -0.2 0.5 Romania 7.5 -2.5 -2.0 -0.8 -0.3 -0.5 6.7 -2.8 -2.4 Turkey 22.1 13.2 12.9 0.3 2.2 0.0 22.4 15.4 12.9 USA 7.5 5.7 5.8 3.6 3.5 3.4 11.1 9.2 9.2 Japan 7.6 1.1 0.8 0.2 0.0 0.0 7.8 1.1 0.8 Russia 4.9 -6.1 -5.5 0.4 0.6 0.7 5.3 -5.5 -4.8 China : 6.1 6.1 : -0.4 -0.4 : 5.7 5.7 India 21.2 14.8 14.4 0.0 -0.1 -0.1 21.2 14.7 14.4 The table contains estimated data that should be considered as provisional : Data not available Sources: Eurostat, Council of Europe, US Census Bureau Fertility Total fertility rate6 (children per woman) Live births outside marriage (as % of total live births) 1980 2003 2004 1980 2003 2004 EU251 1.88 1.48 1.50 8.8 30.6 31.6 Eurozone 1.79 1.47 1.48 8.1 28.7 29.7 Belgium 1.68 1.64 1.64 4.1 31.0 : Czech Republic 2.10 1.18 1.23 5.6 28.5 30.6 Denmark 1.55 1.76 1.78 33.2 44.9 45.4 Germany 1.56 1.34 1.37 11.9 27.0 28.0 Estonia 2.02 1.37 1.40 18.3 57.8 : Greece 2.21 1.28 1.29 1.5 4.8 4.9 Spain 2.20 1.30 1.32 3.9 23.2 : France1 1.95 1.89 1.90 11.4 45.2 : Ireland 3.25 1.98 1.99 5.0 31.4 : Italy 1.64 1.28 1.33 4.3 13.6 14.9 Cyprus4 2.46 1.50 1.49 0.6 3.5 3.3 Latvia 1.90 1.29 1.24 12.5 44.2 45.3 Lithuania 2.00 1.26 1.26 6.3 29.5 28.7 Luxembourg 1.49 1.63 1.70 6.0 25.0 26.1 Hungary 1.92 1.27 1.28 7.1 32.3 34.0 Malta 1.99 1.46 1.37 1.1 16.8 19.1 Netherlands 1.60 1.75 1.73 4.1 30.7 32.5