64 years) will decline by 6.8 per cent to 20.8 million), according to the study. Roughly speaking, in 2030, for every person aged over 65 there would be two people of working age. The number of people aged over 80 would also nearly double to 34.7 million people - a figure expected to rise beyond 2030. Between now and 2050, the number of people over 80 would increase by 180 per cent. Birthrates would, meanwhile, also continue to stagnate. In 2003, the average birth rate across the EU was 1.48 children per woman, far below the 2.1 needed to avoid a decline in the population. Causes of the population decline included later entry to the job market, job insecurity, high living costs, and lack of adequate incentives such as family support payments, holidays for parents, childcare cover, and equal pay for men and women. --SP 23 08 Local Time 20 08 GMT
