08-04-2009, 10:11 AM
EU population nears 500 million
BRUSSELS: The European Unionâs population is on course to break through the 500 million mark in 2009, new figures from the blocâs statistics agency indicated Monday. The total number of people living in the European Unionâs 27 states rose by 2.1 million, or 0.4 percent, over 12 months to January and now stands at 499.8 million people, the latest figures from Eurostat showed. It was the fourth year in a row that the population had risen and comes despite a drop in the birthrate in Germany, the EUâs most populous country. The increase was down to a moderate rise in the birth rate while the death rate had remained relatively constant, said Eurostat. 5.4 million babies had born across the 27 EU nations, up 0.3 percent on the previous year, 4.8 million people died over the same period - the same rate as the previous year. afp
BRUSSELS: The European Unionâs population is on course to break through the 500 million mark in 2009, new figures from the blocâs statistics agency indicated Monday. The total number of people living in the European Unionâs 27 states rose by 2.1 million, or 0.4 percent, over 12 months to January and now stands at 499.8 million people, the latest figures from Eurostat showed. It was the fourth year in a row that the population had risen and comes despite a drop in the birthrate in Germany, the EUâs most populous country. The increase was down to a moderate rise in the birth rate while the death rate had remained relatively constant, said Eurostat. 5.4 million babies had born across the 27 EU nations, up 0.3 percent on the previous year, 4.8 million people died over the same period - the same rate as the previous year. afp