Europe struggles with population crisis, Eastern Europe faces dual challenges

(CLO) Europe has long faced population decline, but some countries, especially in Eastern Europe, are even facing a double crisis: low birth rates combined with massive migration.

According to The World Factbook, the 10 countries with the lowest population growth rates in Europe in 2024 include Latvia (-1.14%), Lithuania (-1.05%), Poland (-1%), Romania (-0.94%), Estonia (-0.76%), Bulgaria (-0.66%), Serbia (-0.61%), Moldova (-0.58%), Croatia (-0.46%) and Montenegro (-0.44%).

This population decline comes not only from the difference between births and deaths but also from emigration abroad.

Illustration: AI

Europe is facing alarmingly low birth rates. While the minimum fertility rate to maintain the population is 2.1 children per woman, the average European woman only gives birth to 1.52 children.

Eastern Europe has been hit hardest as young people leave their homelands in droves for wealthier countries in search of opportunities. Migration is the main reason for the population decline in these countries, according to expert Tomas Sobotka. Most of them come from former Soviet countries, where incomes are lower and mortality rates are higher than in Western Europe.

Poonam Muttreja, director of the Population Foundation of India, said that countries like Latvia and Lithuania are experiencing a "double demographic challenge" with extremely low birth rates and massive migration.

She said the instability after the fall of communism disrupted population policy, causing many young people to migrate west in search of better opportunities, leading to a shrinking workforce and rapidly aging population.

But not all countries have suffered the same fate. Some, such as the UK, Austria and Sweden, have seen their populations grow thanks to immigration. Spain even saw its birth rate rise for the first time in a decade, with 1,378 more births in 2024 than the previous year.

This could be due to a wave of immigration from Latin America, a population that is considered better integrated than other migrant communities in Europe, according to demographer Anne Goujon.

Immigration may be a solution to population decline, but experts say it is not enough to completely solve the problem. In addition to the demographic challenge, there is also a political factor as many European countries become more restrictive towards immigration.

Ngoc Anh (according to Newsweek, Euronews)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/chau-au-lao-dao-vi-khung-hoang-dan-so-dong-au-doi-mat-voi-thach-thuc-kep-post340739.html