Romania’s population is projected to decline significantly over the coming decades, falling to around 14.4 million by 2100, according to the latest forecasts published by Eurostat and quoted by local news agency Agerpres. The estimates pointed to a drop of roughly 24% compared to the current population.

Romania’s population stood at approximately 19 million at the beginning of 2025, according to the report, with demographic trends indicating a steady decrease over the rest of the century.

According to the same projections, the population of the European Union is also expected to decline, though at a slower pace. Eurostat forecasted a drop of around 11.7%, from 451.8 million people in 2025 to 398.8 million by 2100. The EU population is expected to peak at around 453 million in 2029 before entering a long-term downward trend.

Among member states, Germany is projected to remain the most populous country despite a decline from roughly 83.6 million to 74.7 million residents. France is expected to see only a slight decrease, while Spain’s population is forecast to grow modestly.

Overall, according to Agerpres, Eurostat anticipated population growth in just nine EU countries, while 18, including Romania, are expected to experience declines. Some of the steepest drops are projected in Eastern Europe, with Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia all expected to lose more than 30% of their populations by the end of the century.

The Eurostat projections also revealed that between 2025 and 2100, the proportion of children, young people, and working-age people in the total EU population is expected to decline. The share of children and young people (aged 0-19) is projected to decrease from 20% to 17%, while the share of working-age people (aged 20-64) is expected to fall from 58% to 50% by 2100.

In contrast, the share of those aged 65-79 is anticipated to rise from 16% in 2025 to 17% in 2100, while the share of those aged 80 and over is expected to increase by 10 percentage points to 16%.

A previous analysis published by the head of the National Institute of Statistics in February said that Romania’s population has fallen by more than 4.16 million people over the past 35 years, driven mainly by emigration. 

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

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