According to Eurostat’s just published ‘Demography of Europe 2024’, Ireland recorded a 33 per cent increase in population between 1 January, 2003 and 1 January, 2023, the 3rd highest rise in the EU after Luxembourg (47 per cent) and Malta (36 per cent).
Over the same period, the population of the EU27 rose by 4 per cent – from 431.2 million to 448.8 million.
Meanwhile, large decreases were recorded in Latvia (−18 per cent), Bulgaria and Lithuania (both −17
per cent), and Romania (−12 per cent).
Ireland also stands out for having the highest share of children and young adolescents (19.3 per cent of its population) on 1 January 2023, compared to an EU average of 14.9 per cent.
It also had the third highest crude birth rate in the EU in 2022 at 10.5 live births per 1,000 persons, after Cyprus (11.2) and France (10.7), and the joint lowest crude death rate (6.8 deaths per 1,000 persons).
Check out Eurostat’s interactive publication for more demography figures.
Commission maintains its growth forecast for Ireland for 2024
In its Spring 2024 Economic Forecast, published this week, the European Commission has maintained its expectations for the performance of the Irish economy in 2024 with a predicted GDP growth rate of 1.2 per cent.
For 2025, Ireland is forecast to see GDP growth of 3.6 per cent, up from 3.2 per cent predicted in the Winter Economic forecast.
Headline inflation meanwhile is set to continue easing to 1.9 per cent in 2024 and 1.8 per cent in 2025 (from 5.2 per cent in 2023), a little lower than predicted in the Winter forecast.
Commission opens formal proceedings against Meta
The European Commission this week opened formal proceedings to assess whether Meta, the provider of Facebook and
Instagram, may have breached the Digital Services Act (DSA) in areas linked to the protection of minors.
The Commission is concerned that the systems of both Facebook and Instagram, including their algorithms, may stimulate behavioural addictions in children, as well as create so-called ‘rabbit-hole effects’.
In addition, the Commission is also concerned about age-assurance and verification methods put in place by Meta.
Over half of young Irish people have taken action to change society
Fifty-four per cent of young Irish people (15-30 years), the 2nd highest in the EU after Germany (57 per cent), have taken action to change society in the past year, according to a new Eurobarometer survey.
This includes signing petitions, participating in rallies, or sending letters to politicians.
The EU average was 48 per cent, dropping to 31 per cent in Cyprus. The survey also shows that 61 per cent of young Irish people intend to vote in the upcoming European elections while 14 per cent of those surveyed are not eligible to vote.
When asked about their sources of information about the EU, social media (55 per cent) was the most popular followed by television (48 per cent).
EU boosts readiness to combat 2024 wildfire season
As Europe is preparing for the approaching wildfire season, the EU is taking significant steps to bolster firefighting efforts and safeguard communities, by pre-positioning firefighters and assembling a fleet of firefighting aircraft.
Firstly, 556 firefighters from 12 countries will be strategically prepositioned across key locations in Europe this summer, such as France, Greece, Portugal, and Spain, ready to help local fire brigades.
Secondly, the EU has also assembled a dedicated rescEU fleet of firefighting aircraft for this summer, consisting of 28 airplanes and 4 helicopters stationed in 10 Member States.
Monthly EU basics webinars
The European Parliament Liaison Office in Ireland is hosting a one-hour webinar on EU basics from 12 noon to 1pm on Thursday, June 13. The webinar will offer an introduction into how the European Union works and what role it plays in our lives. Each webinar will start with a presentation followed by a Q&A for participants. There is no prior knowledge required.
The topics covered range from the EU’s law making process, to areas where the EU makes rules and where it does not, to how half a century of EU membership have influenced Ireland.
Anyone interested in participating can register via the links below.
To register please email eudirect@donegallibrary.ie
Information for EU News is provided by the EU Commission Representation in Ireland: http://ec.europa.eu/ireland/
Fr further information contact Central Library, Letterkenny – 074 91 24950 or visit us on Facebook at Europe Direct, Letterkenny. Email eudirect@donegallibrary.ie; Facebook and Twitter: @edicdonegal
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