WGPlus (Archive)
| ‘Limited room at the Inn’ |
|
On 1 January 2016, the population of the EU was estimated at 510.1m, compared with 508.3m on 1 January 2015. During the year 2015, almost 5.1m babies were born in the EU, while more than 5.2m persons died, meaning that the EU recorded for the first time ever a negative natural change of its population. The remainder of the change (positive) is driven mainly by net migration. The most populated EU Member States continue to be Germany (82.2m residents – 138,000sq km), France (66.7m – 210,000sq km), the UK (65.3m – 93,000sq km) and Italy (60.7m – 116,000sq km). Together, they are home to more than half of the EU population. |
| Editor’s Note: This helps explain why most of the other 27 members of the EU don’t ‘understand’ the UK’s desire/need to curb migration. In the UK births exceed deaths, so unlimited migration is a problem, especially when you factor in the relative size of the UK compared to say France & Germany. We certainly don’t need to be ‘assigned’ additional migrants by Brussels! |
|
One last point related to population statistics, remembering the accusations about the Remain campaign’s £350m pw EU contribution claim. Better in were always claiming we would lose access to 500m+ consumers in the single market, which ignores the fact that the UK makes up 65.3m of that number! So both sides were claiming a gross figure and it was a case of the ‘Pot calling the kettle black! |
| Researched Links: |
|
IPPR proposes emergency brake on free movement as it sets Brexit options for Theresa May Enhancing legal channels: EC proposes to create common EU Resettlement Framework Relocation & Resettlement: Positive trend continues, but more efforts needed The Guardian: Europe needs many more babies to avert a population disaster |
.gif)
