Demography of Europe

Information about Demography of Europe

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The population growth/decline of European countries
The Demography of Europe refers to the changing number and composition of the population of Europe. Since the Renaissance, Europe has had a dominating influence in culture, economics and social movements in the world. European demography are important not only historically, but also in understanding current international relations and population issues.

Some current and past issues in European demography have included religious emigration, race relations, economic immigration, a declining birth rate and an ageing population. In some countries, such as the Republic of Ireland and Poland, access to abortion is currently limited; in the past, such restrictions and also restrictions on artificial birth control were commonplace throughout Europe. Furthermore, two European countries (currently The Netherlands and Switzerland) have allowed a limited form of voluntary euthanasia. It remains to be seen how much demographic impact this may have.

In 2005 the population of Europe was estimated to be 728 million according United Nations, which is slightly more than one-ninth of the world's population. A century ago, Europe had nearly a quarter of the world's population. The population of Europe has grown in the past century, but in other areas of the world (in particular Africa and Asia) the population has grown far more quickly.[1] According to UN population projection (medium variant), Europe's share will fall to 7% in 2050, numbering 653 million.

Total population

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Current population of European countries
In 2005, the population of Europe was 728 million or 11% of the world population. It has been growing from 500 million after World War II to the present size of more than 700 million. The United Nations Population Division estimates that Europe's population peaked in early 2000s and has now begun a decline.

Year Population in thousands[1]
1950547,405
1960604,406
1970655,862
1980692,435
1990721,390
2000728,463
2005728,389
2010725,786
2020714,959
2030698,140
2040677,191
2050653,323

Territories and regions

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Regions of Europe as delineated by the United Nations (other categorisations may vary):      Northern Europe      Western Europe      Eastern Europe      Southern Europe
The countries in this table are categorised according to the scheme for geographic subregions used by the United Nations, and data included are per sources in cross-referenced articles. Where they differ, provisos are clearly indicated.

According to different definitions, such as consideration of the concept of Central Europe, the following territories and regions may be subject to various other categorisations.
Name of region[2] and
territory, with flag
Area
(km²)
Population
(1 July, 2002 est.)
Population density
(per km²)
Capital
Eastern Europe:
 Belarus207,60010,335,38249.8Minsk
 Bulgaria[3]110,9107,322,85868.4Sofia
 Czech Republic[4]78,86610,228,744129.7Prague
 Hungary[5]93,0309,956,108107Budapest
 Moldova[6]33,8434,320,490127.6Chişinău
 Poland[7]312,68538,518,241123.2Warsaw
 Romania[8]238,39122,276,05693.4Bucharest
 Russia[9]3,960,000106,003,702 26.8Moscow
 Slovakia[10]48,8455,447,502111.53Bratislava
 Ukraine[11]603,70046,299,86276.7Kiev
Northern Europe:
(Finland)1,55226,00816.8Mariehamn
 Denmark43,0945,368,854124.6Copenhagen
 Estonia45,2261,415,68131.3Tallinn
 Faroe Islands (Denmark)1,39946,01132.9Tórshavn
 Finland336,5935,157,53715.3Helsinki
 Guernsey[12]7864,587828.0St Peter Port
 Iceland103,000307,2612.7Reykjavík
 Ireland70,2804,234,92560.3Dublin
 Isle of Man[13]57273,873129.1Douglas
 Jersey[14]11689,775773.9Saint Helier
 Latvia64,5892,366,51536.6Riga
 Lithuania65,2003,601,13855.2Vilnius
 Norway324,2204,525,11614.0Oslo
Svalbard and Jan
Mayen Islands
(Norway)
62,0492,8680.046Longyearbyen
 Sweden449,9649,090,11319.7Stockholm
 United Kingdom244,82059,201,000244.2London
Southern Europe:
 Albania[15]28,7483,600,523125.2Tirana
 Andorra46868,403146.2Andorra la Vella
 Bosnia and Herzegovina[16]51,1294,552,19889Sarajevo
 Croatia[17]56,5424,493,31279.5Zagreb
 Gibraltar (UK)5.927,7144,697.3Gibraltar
 Greece[18]131,94010,706,29181.1Athens
 Italy[19]301,23058,147,733193Rome
 Republic of Macedonia[20]25,3332,055,91581.1Skopje
 Malta316397,4991,257.9Valletta
 Montenegro[21]13,812684,73649.6Podgorica
 Portugal[22]91,56810,084,245110.1Lisbon
 San Marino6127,730454.6San Marino
 Serbia[23]88,36110,147,398114.8Belgrade
 Slovenia[24]20,2732,009,24599.1Ljubljana
 Spain[25]498,50640,077,10080.4Madrid
 Vatican City0.449002,045.5Vatican City
Western Europe:
 Austria83,8588,169,92997.4Vienna
 Belgium30,51010,274,595336.8Brussels
 France[26]547,03061,538,322109.3Paris
 Germany357,02183,251,851233.2Berlin
 Liechtenstein16032,842205.3Vaduz
 Luxembourg2,586448,569173.5Luxembourg
 Monaco1.9531,98716,403.6Monaco
 Netherlands[27]41,52616,318,199393.0Amsterdam
 Switzerland41,2907,301,994176.8Bern
Central Asia:
 Kazakhstan[28]150,000600,0004.0Astana
Western Asia:[29]
 Azerbaijan[30]86,68,581,487105.7Baku
 Georgia[31]49,2402,447,17649.7Tbilisi
 Turkey[32]24,37871,044,932453.1Ankara
Total10,176,246[33]709,608,850[34]69.7



Age

Main article: Aging of Europe
Perhaps mirroring its declining population growth, European countries tend to have older populations overall. European countries had nine of the top ten highest median ages in national populations in 2005. Only Japan had an older population.[35]

Sex

There are slightly more men born than women, but men have a slightly shorter life span.

Religion

Main article: Religion in Europe
Religion in Europe spans approximately 50,000 years of human settlement on the continent. It has developed from the earliest prehistoric spirituality via the Ancient Greek, Roman and Nordic faiths to the spread of the Abrahamic religions of Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Europe has a rich and diverse religious history, and its various faiths have been a major influence on European art, culture, philosophy and law. In modern times, the overwhelming majority of religious Europeans are Christian; the second-largest religion in Europe is Islam, followed by Judaism. Europe also has the largest number and proportion of agnostics and atheists in the Western world.

Nationality

Further information: European ethnic groups

Language

Main article: Languages of Europe


Europe has 30-40 major languages depending on definition. The European Union (EU), which currently excludes Norway and many eastern European countries, recognises 23 official languages as of 2007.[36] According to the same source, the seven most natively spoken languages in the EU are (percentage of total European population[37]):
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Linguistic map of Europe (simplified).
  1. 18% German
  2. 13% English
  3. 13% Italian
  4. 12% French
  5. 9% Spanish
  6. 9% Polish
  7. 5% Dutch


These figures change slightly when foreign language skills are taken into account. The list below shows the top eight European languages ordered by total number of speakers in the EU:[38]
  1. 51% English
  2. 32% German
  3. 26% French
  4. 16% Italian
  5. 15% Spanish
  6. 10% Polish
  7. 7% Russian
  8. 6% Dutch


This makes German the most frequently spoken native language and English the most frequently spoken language overall in the European Union, with German the second-most common language overall.

Foreign language skills

Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Denmark, Malta, Sweden, Slovenia, Belgium, and Finland are the EU countries with the most foreign language skills. This refers to all foreign languages. English is spoken most frequently in Malta, Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands. The largest countries in Europe have the following percentages of English language skills: 44% Germany, 32% France, 28% Italy, 22% Poland, 18% Spain. The countries with the least foreign language skills are the UK, Ireland, Germany, Italy and Spain.[39] [40]

Extinct and endangered languages

Many languages have become extinct in Europe and the process is continuing. Languages that are already rated as extinct by the UNESCO Red Book include Old Prussian, Cornish, and two Jewish languages. Nearly extinct and seriously endangered languages include several Sami and regional Jewish languages, Frisian, and Breton.[41]

See also

References

1. ^ UNPP, 2004 Revision World Population Prospects: The 2004 Revision Population Database. United Nations Population Division, 2005. Last accessed October 25, 2006.
2. ^ Continental regions as per UN categorisations/map. Depending on definitions, various territories cited below may be in one or both of Europe and Asia, Africa, or Oceania.

3. ^ Data for 2007.

4. ^ Data for 2007.

5. ^ Data for 2007.

6. ^ Includes Transnistria, a region that has declared, and de facto achieved, independence; however, it is not recognised de jure by sovereign states.
Data for 2007.
7. ^ Data for 2007.

8. ^ Data for 2007.

9. ^ Russia is generally considered a transcontinental country in Eastern Europe (UN region) and Asia, with European territory west of the Ural Mountains and both the Ural and Emba rivers; population and area figures are for European portion only.

10. ^ Data for 2007.

11. ^ Data for 2007.

12. ^ Guernsey is a crown dependency affiliated with the United Kingdom.

13. ^ Isle of Man is a crown dependency affiliated with the United Kingdom.

14. ^ Jersey is a crown dependency affiliated with the United Kingdom.

15. ^ Data for 2007.

16. ^ Data for 2007.

17. ^ Data for 2007.

18. ^ Data for 2007.

19. ^ Data for 2007.

20. ^ Data for 2007.

21. ^ Montenegro declared independence from the union of Serbia and Montenegro on 3 June, 2006.
Data for 2007.

22. ^ Figures for Portugal include the Azores west of Portugal but exclude the Madeira Islands, west of Morocco in Africa.

23. ^ Figures for Serbia include Kosovo and Metohia, a province administrated by the UN (UNMIK) as per Security Council resolution 1244.
Data from 2007.

24. ^ Data for 2007.

25. ^ Figures for Spain exclude the Canary Islands, west of Morocco in Africa, and the exclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, which are on the northwest of the African continent.

26. ^ Figures for France include only metropolitan France: some politically integral parts of France are geographically located outside Europe.

27. ^ Netherlands population for July 2004. Population and area details include European portion only: Netherlands and two entities outside Europe (Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles, in the Caribbean) constitute the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Amsterdam is the official capital, while The Hague is the administrative seat.

28. ^ Kazakhstan is sometimes considered a transcontinental country in Central Asia (UN region) and Eastern Europe, with European territory west of the Ural Mountains and both the Ural and Emba rivers; area figures are for European portion out of total.

29. ^ Armenia and Cyprus are sometimes considered transcontinental countries: both are physiographically in Western Asia but have historical and sociopolitical connections with Europe.
30. ^ Azerbaijan is often considered a transcontinental country in Western Asia (UN region) and Eastern Europe; population and area figures are for European portion (north of the crest of the Caucasus and the Kura River) out of total. This excludes the exclave of Nakhichevan and Nagorno-Karabakh (a region that has declared, and de facto achieved, independence; however, it is not recognised de jure by sovereign states).

31. ^ Georgia is often considered a transcontinental country in Western Asia (UN region) and Eastern Europe; population and area figures are for European portion (north of the crest of the Caucasus and the Kura River) out of total. Also includes Abkhazia and South Ossetia, two regions that have declared, and de facto achieved, independence; however, they are not recognised de jure by sovereign states.
32. ^ Turkey is generally considered a transcontinental country in Western Asia (UN region) and Southern Europe: the region of Rumelia (Trakya) – which includes the provinces of Edirne, Kırklareli, Tekirdağ, and the western parts of the Çanakkale and Istanbul Provinces – is west and north of the Bosporus and the Dardanelles; population and area figures are for European portion (including all of Istanbul) out of total population.

33. ^ The total area figure includes only European portions of transcontinental countries.
34. ^ The total population figure includes only European portions of transcontinental countries.
35. ^ United Nations Population Division, World Population Prospects: The 2004 Revision Highlights. 2005
36. ^ [1]
37. ^ see [2] for full list
38. ^ see [3] for full list
39. ^ [4]
40. ^ [5]
41. ^ [6]
population is the collection of people or organisms of a particular species living in a given geographic area or mortality, and migration, though the field encompasses many dimensions of population change including the family (marriage and divorce), public health, work and the
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Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth. Physically and geologically, Europe is the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, west of Asia. Europe is bounded to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the west by the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by the Mediterranean Sea,
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Renaissance (French for "rebirth"; Italian: Rinascimento; Spanish: Renacimiento), was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th through the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe.
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Emigration is the act and the phenomenon of leaving one's native country or region to settle in another. It is the same as immigration but from the perspective of the country of origin.
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Race relations is the area of sociology that studies the social, political, and economic relations between races at all different levels of society. This area encompasses the study of racism, and of complex political interactions between members of different groups.
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crude birth rate (CBR) of a population is the number of childbirths per 1,000 people per year. It can be mathematically represented by where n is the number of childbirths in that year, and p is the current population.
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Population ageing or population aging (see English spelling differences) occurs when the median age of a country or region rises. With the exception of 18 countries termed by the United Nations 'demographic outliers' (see the Ud 2005 Human Development Report) this process is
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Anthem
Amhrán na bhFiann  
The Soldier's Song


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Motto
none1
Anthem
Mazurek Dąbrowskiego   (Polish)
Dąbrowski's Mazurek
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History of abortion
Abortion by country
Methods
Surgical:
Suction-Aspiration D&E
D&C* IDX*
Hysterotomy* Instillation*
Medical:
Mifepristone Misoprostol
* Rarely performed

Abortion law
Conscience clause Minors
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Motto
"Je maintiendrai"   (French)
"Ik zal handhaven"   (Dutch)
"I shall stand fast"1

Anthem
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Motto
Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno (Latin) (traditional)[1]
"One for all, all for one"
Anthem
"Swiss Psalm"
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Headquarters
(and largest city)
Official languages Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish
Membership 192 member states
Leaders
 -  Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
Establishment
 - 
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Oceania
Africa
Asia

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Africa is the world's second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. At about 30,221,532 km² (11,668,545 sq mi) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area, and 20.4% of the total land area.
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Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent. It covers 8.6% of the Earth's total surface area (or 29.4% of its land area) and, with almost 4 billion people, it contains more than 60% of the world's current human population.
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United Nations geoscheme, created by the United Nations Statistics Division, divides the world into 'macro-geographical regions' (continents)[1] and sub-regions.

The scheme was devised for statistical purposes and is used for carrying out statistical analysis.
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Headquarters
(and largest city)
Official languages Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, Spanish
Membership 192 member states
Leaders
 -  Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
Establishment
 - 
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Central Europe is the region lying between the variously and vaguely defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe. In addition, Northern, Southern and Southeastern Europe may variously delimit or overlap into Central Europe.
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A subregion is a conceptual unit which derives from a larger region or continent and is usually based on location. Cardinal directions, such as south or southern, are commonly used to define a subregion.
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flag is a piece of woven cloth, often flown from a pole or mast, generally used symbolically for signalling or identification. The term flag is also used to refer to the graphic design employed by a flag, or to its depiction in another medium.
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This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. The list ranks sovereign states, as well as self-governing dependent territories. Total areas are included, covering land and inland water bodies (lakes, reservoirs, rivers).
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list of countries ordered according to population. The list includes and ranks sovereign states and self-governing dependent territories. Figures are based on the most recent estimate or projection by the national census authority where available and generally rounded off.
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List of countries and dependencies by population density in inhabitants/km². The list includes sovereign states and self-governing dependent territories that are recognized by the United Nations.
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capital (also called capital city or political capital — although the latter phrase has a second meaning based on an alternative sense of "capital") is the center of government.
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Anthem
Мы, беларусы   (Belarusian)
My, Belarusy   (transliteration)
We Belarusians
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Мінск
Минск
Minsk


Flag
Seal
Location of Minsk, shown within the Minsk Voblast
Coordinates:
Country
Subdivision Belarus
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Motto
Съединението прави силата   (Bulgarian)
"Suedinenieto pravi silata"
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Sofia Софи?

Flag
Seal
Position of Sofia in Bulgaria
Coordinates:
Country Bulgaria
Province Sofia-City
Government
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