Source: WUNRN
Life expectancy for women expected to be over 80 years in all Member States in 2050
Women had a higher life expectancy than men in all Member States in 2005, and this is forecast to be the same in 2050. In the EU27 there was a difference of around 6 years in 2005 (81.5 years for women compared with 75.4 years for men), with the highest differences in Lithuania and Latvia (12 years) and lowest in Malta, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Sweden (4 years). By 2050, life expectancy is expected to increase both for women and for men, the increase being however generally higher for men. Due to this, the gap is expected to narrow in almost all Member States, with differences ranging from 3 years in Denmark, Cyprus, Malta and Sweden to 8 years in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
In 2005, life expectancy for women ranged from 75.4 years in Romania to 83.9 years in Spain. In 2050 it is expected to be over 80 years in all Member States, ranging from 82.0 years in Romania to 89.1 years in France.
One result of this higher life expectancy is that women made up 59% of those aged 65 years or more in the EU27 in 2005. Considering forecasts of the population structure for 2050, the share of women is expected to decrease to 55% in the EU27.
France and Ireland had the highest fertility rate in 2005
The fertility rate1 in the EU27 in 2005 was 1.51, with France (1.92), Ireland (1.88), Denmark, Finland and the United Kingdom (all 1.80) recording the highest rates. In Poland (1.24), Slovakia (1.25), Slovenia (1.26), Lithuania (1.27), the Czech Republic and Greece (both 1.28) the lowest rates were observed.