| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Barbed wire is a failure | |
| Posted by: | Claire Moran | |
| Date/Time: | 02/09/15 15:12:00 |
| And if you are not yet tired of stats:- "The UK is set to overtake Germany as the country with the biggest population in the EU in 32 years’ time according to official EU figures. A steadily rising population will boost the total in the UK to just over 76, million in 2047 while the number of people in Germany will decline to just under 75 million. The UK’s population is also predicted to overtake that of France. The projected figures from Eurostat, the EU’s statistics organisation, result from various influences including having the third highest fertility rate after France and the Irish Republic. Simon Ross, the chief executive of Population Matters, a charity that addresses population numbers and their effects on environmental sustainability said, These figures are a result of us living longer, net migration and relatively larger family sizes compared with the rest of Europe. He warned of the longer-term impact that population growth would have on public services, infrastructure and the green belt. The projection suggests that the UK’s population will rise by a third to reach 85.1 million by 2080. Mr Ross said, We are already seeing the implications in terms of rising house prices. Pressure on the infrastructure such as roads and railways and rising utility bills. There is huge congestion on the roads. It is difficult for some people to get their children into the school of their choice. People cannot always see a doctor quickly. These are all a result of huge pressure being put on public services by a rising population, he said. Official projections from Eurostat show that the UK’s population is set to rise by almost twice as much as the rest of the EU over the next 65 years. By 2047 the population of the UK is projected to increase from 64.6 million to 76.21 million while Germany’s is expected to decline from 80.7 million to 74.5 million. The population of France is projected to rise by about 19 per cent to reach 78 million but that is nowhere near as quickly as the numbers will rise in this country. In the same period Germany, the state with the biggest population at present, is projected to suffer population decline, with the figures suggesting that it will fall by more than 15 million from 80.7 million at the moment to 65.3 million. The figure project that the population of the EU as a whole will increase by 11 million to 520 million in 2080. Germany’s falling population will mean a shrinking workforce, lower growth and a problem looking after, and paying for, an ageing population. The Times September 1st 2015 |