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Europe Demographics


Demographics of Europe


The total population of Europe is estimated at around 743.1 million (2015), or over 11% of the world's population. In general, Europe has an aging population, taking 9 of the top 10 spots on worldwide ranking. This means the median age is high, as birth rate has declined, the average lifespan has increased, and the population growth must rely on immigration.

Europe experienced mass emigration shortly after the Age of Exploration, when Europeans flocked to new colonies, and millions of poor people fled Europe during economic crises of the 19th century. However, Europe also has a lot of immigration, and boasts the highest number of migrants in general, with a net gain in immigration. Recently, the majority of immigrants becoming EU citizens have come from Morocco, Turkey, Ecuador, Algeria, and Iraq. There are an estimated 87 distinct ethnic groups in all of Europe, 33 of which are a state majority and 54 of which are ethnic minorities. About 105 million (or 14% of Europe's population) are considered minority populations. The major ethnic groups in Europe include Russians (92 million in Europe) and Germans (72 million). Of the non-European ethnicities, there are about 20 million people, making up about 4% of the total population.

There are 23 officially recognized languages in the European Union. Of native speakers in the European Union, the most common is German (19%), followed by French (13%), English (12%), Italian (11%), Polish (9%), Spanish (9%), Romanian (7%), and Dutch (5%). However, when taking into account non-native speakers, English is the most spoken language overall, with its speakers making up about 49% of the population. The other languages commonly spoken in Europe when including non-native speakers include German (35%), French (26%), Italian (16%), Spanish (15%), Polish (10%), Russian (7%), and Dutch (6%). In terms of language groups, Slavic languages are the most commonly spoken, followed by Romance and Germanic languages. Other important regional languages include Catalan, Basque, Welsh, Cornish, Scottish Gaelic (Celtic languages), Latvian and Lithuanian (Baltic languages), Estonian, Finish, and Hungarian (Uralic languages), and Turkic languages such as Turkish.

Christianity dominates the religious sphere of Europe, as the biggest religion across Europe, including Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant churches. Second to Christianity is Islam, primarily in the Balkans and Eastern Europe. Minority religious include Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and there is a large portion of the population who are non-religious (atheist or agnostic).


Last Updated on: October 24th, 2017