EU warns migration essential to avoid 130‑million population loss

The European Commission’s 2026 Demography Report says the EU’s population will peak at about 453 million in 2029 and then shrink to roughly 399 million by 2100. Without any migrant inflow, the decline would be about 130 million larger, leaving the Union far below current projections.

Fertility in the bloc remains low at 1.34 children per woman, while people aged 65 and over are expected to make up around 30 % of the population by 2050. The Commission stresses that legal migration from non‑EU countries can help fill labour shortages, sustain economic growth and support pension, health‑care and social‑welfare systems, although it cannot reverse ageing trends on its own. Commissioner for Demography Dubravka Šuica described migration as a “necessity” for maintaining the working‑age population and counter‑balancing demographic decline.