Quartz Media recently analysed some UN projections and summarised the results in an article. The sad news is that the fastest shrinking countries on earth are found in Eastern Europe. The potential demographic disaster must be stopped as soon as possible.
The population of the “top 10” countries are expected to shrink by 15% or even more by 2050.
Bulgaria is considered to be the world’s fastest shrinking country. Its population is expected to decrease from 7 million to 5.4 million. The country is followed by Latvia (-22%) and Moldova (-19%) on the podium.
| Country | 2017 (million) | 2050 (million) | % change |
| Bulgaria | 7.08 | 5.42 | -23 |
| Latvia | 1.95 | 1.52 | -22 |
| Moldova | 4.05 | 3.29 | -19 |
| Ukraine | 44.22 | 36.42 | -18 |
| Croatia | 4.19 | 3.46 | -17 |
| Lithuania | 2.89 | 2.41 | -17 |
| Romania | 19.68 | 16.40 | -17 |
| Serbia | 8.79 | 7.45 | -15 |
| Poland | 38.17 | 32.39 | -15 |
| Hungary | 9.72 | 8.28 | -15 |
We are not surprised to see Hungary on the list since we have shared several articles about the decreasing population of our country.
According to Tomas Sobotka, lead researcher at Wittgenstein Centre, most of the post-communist countries have already experienced population declines in the past decades.
The three main factors that contribute to the phenomenon are: falling fertility rates, massive out-migration and relatively high mortality.
While the number of births and deaths were steady in 2016, the net migration boosted Europe’s population by 1.5 million. Some people would suggest solving the problem by taking in more migrants, but as we know, the issue is more than controversial.
Political leaders from Hungary and Poland have recently declared that the EU’s migration policy has failed.
Source: https://qz.com/
4 comments
The Hungarian government has to get on this. With Hungary’s economy growing and job vacancies at a high, Hungarians should be clamouring for those positions and not travelling to other nations to work. There is no need to move to a foreign country for work when it is in your own backyard. The government should give parents bonuses for every third child born. Immigration will not improve low population figures and only bastardizes a country!
Of course you are right. I wouldn´t necessarily use your inflamatory language of bastardization but immigration from the 3rd world is not necessary. it´better they stay at home to build the infrustructure there. Technology will reduce need for labour anyway so it is a blessing that the population is increasing. WOrk will be enough for everybody. FOr instance taking care of the growing senior citizens.
correction: population decreasing of course. The number of unemployed Europeans is sufficient to cover the needs
Maybe the term I used was inappropriate, so I will withdraw it. I know, from my experience, how much an over-eager government can push immigration and not see the change until it is too late. When there is a great influx at one time, without proper screening and having these newcomers not have any desire to become part of the fabric of a nation, that immigration policy failed and now the country will suffer. Taking in people who are not accustomed to the culture or religion or politics and who do not wish to integrate is not an answer to low birth rates.
The solution must be created and solved internally.