Demographic Change and Growing Population Diversity in Europe

Demographic change and growing population diversity are megatrends happening on a national, European and global scale. Alongside the ageing of population and ethnic diversification, they also include socio-demographic changes in educational attainment, employment, family structure, and income distribution. While low fertility and emigration are the main demographic forces shaping population decline, improvements in educational attainment and labour force participation increase productivity and societal wellbeing. However, the scale and speed of change and its reversibility vary substantially across countries and regions. Which are the main policy challenges related to population developments in the near future, and how can researchers provide high quality evidence to better answer these questions? What opportunities does demographic change bring to societies?

Introduction by Dubravka Šuica, Vice-President for Democracy and Demography, European Commission