The population of Romania is in decline, according to Eurostat

Romania registers the third-largest population decline in Europe since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

Eurostat, the European Union’s statistics office, has published data showing that the population in the EU shrank for the second year in a row, mostly due to the tragic effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

The total population of the EU fell from 447 million on January 1, 2021 to 446.8 million on January 1, 2022, which is a net decline of about 172,000 people.

"The negative natural change (more deaths than births) outnumbered the positive net migration for a second year, most likely due to the impact of the pandemic,” Eurostat said.

While the overall EU population declined for a second straight year, population declines were not reported in every Member State.

In total, 10 countries recorded a decrease in population between January 1, 2021, and 2022, with the largest decreases reported in Italy, Poland, and Romania, and the smallest in Slovenia.

Increases were observed in the other 17 countries, the largest of which happened in France.

Given the impact of the pandemic, the fact that the number of deaths is expected to further increase because of the aging population, and fertility rates remaining at a relatively low level, the high death-to-birth ratio will probably continue, according to Eurostat.

"Should this be the case," it says, "the EU's overall population decline or growth in the future is likely to depend largely on the contribution made by net migration."

(Photo source: Andrii Yalanskyi | Dreamstime.com)