Coastal region of Veurne tops EU ageing chart

Belgium’s coastal region of Veurne has the highest share of elderly people in the European Union, according to new Eurostat figures released on the International Day of Older Persons.

On 1 January 2024, Veurne recorded an old-age dependency ratio of 72.8 per cent, meaning there were fewer than two working-age adults for every person aged 65 or over. No other EU region had a higher rate.

The ratio measures the balance between people of working age (20-64 years) and older residents. It reflects demographic pressures on pensions, healthcare and local services.

Only two other regions in the EU crossed the 70 per cent threshold: Alto Tamega e Barroso in northern Portugal (71.4 per cent) and Evrytania in central Greece (71.1 per cent).

The French outermost regions Mayotte (6.1 per cent) and Guyane (13.8 per cent) and the capital region Byen København in Denmark (17.8 per cent) had the lowest old-age dependency ratios. Brussels also had one of the youngest profiles, with a ratio of 20.5 per cent, thanks to its large student and working population.

Across the EU as a whole, the ratio has risen from 26.8 per cent in 2004 to 37.0 per cent in 2024, showing a clear ageing trend.

^{#FlandersNewsService | Koksijde beach, near Veurne © BELGA PHOTO ERIC LALMAND}