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In recent decades, Europe has experienced significant demographic changes, with some regions seeing rapid population growth while others are facing sharp declines. These changes are shaped by economic opportunities, migration trends, and historical factors that continue to influence the continent’s population distribution today.
Visualizing Population Change Across Europe
The first map, created by data analyst Milos Popovic, provides a high-resolution look at population changes from 1990 to 2020. Using the GHSL population grid at 3 arcsec resolution, this visualization presents a granular view of where population growth and decline have occurred. Green dots indicate areas that have gained people, while pink dots highlight regions that have experienced population loss. This approach allows us to see patterns that country-level statistics might miss.
Three major trends stand out:
Urban areas are booming across the continent, with metropolitan regions like London, Paris, Madrid, and even Eastern European capitals like Warsaw and Moscow showing significant growth.
Eastern and Southeastern Europe are experiencing widespread population decline, creating what some demographers call a “demographic desert” in parts of Bulgaria, Romania, the Baltic states, and Ukraine. Many countries in these regions have seen emigration due to economic instability and declining birth rates.
Western Europe shows consistent growth patterns, with particularly strong population increases in Ireland, the UK, and parts of Spain and France.
For a closer look at how this map was made, watch Milos Popovic’s video where he explains the process of creating such detailed visualizations:
Understanding Broader Population Trends
To complement Popovic’s detailed visualization, let’s look at a broader country-level view from Visual Capitalist:
A second map, published by Visual Capitalist, provides a country-by-country overview of population change from 1990 to 2023. Unlike the first map, which shows local population shifts, this visualization aggregates data at the national level, offering a broader perspective on Europe’s demographic transformation.
Western European nations have generally experienced population growth, often driven by immigration. Some of the fastest-growing countries include:
Luxembourg (+74%)
Cyprus (+71%)
Turkey (+56%)
Ireland (+48%)
Iceland (+52%)
Conversely, Eastern Europe has seen significant population losses, particularly in countries that were once part of the Eastern Bloc. The Baltic states, for instance, have seen sharp declines, with Lithuania’s population decreasing by -24%, Latvia by -30%, and Estonia by -15%, as people migrate westward in search of better opportunities. Other nations, such as Bulgaria (-21%) and Romania (-17%), have also faced substantial depopulation.
The Impact of History on Demographic Shifts
These population changes are deeply tied to Europe’s political and economic history. The fall of the Soviet Union and the opening of borders allowed many Eastern Europeans to relocate to more prosperous regions. In the USSR, internal migration was heavily restricted, requiring special permits to move between cities. After 1990, this pent-up demand for movement was released, leading to depopulation in many former Soviet states.
Additionally, some regions experienced artificial population boosts under Soviet policies. Cities in remote or strategic locations, such as Norilsk and Murmansk, were made more attractive through incentives like higher wages. When these incentives disappeared, many people left.
Looking Ahead: Europe’s Demographic Future
Europe’s demographic future will likely be shaped by continued urbanization, migration policies, and birth rate trends. While Western Europe continues to attract newcomers, the challenge for Eastern and Southeastern Europe will be how to slow population decline and create opportunities that encourage people to stay.
