this week we’ve mostly been getting ready for our upcoming “southern tour”, since we’re leaving on Friday. but since prep and packing aren’t all that exciting to hear about, here’s some interesting numbers I ran across in the Irish Times:

Europe in 50 years …

… by the numbers

6.7 MILLION: The projected population of Ireland in 2060, up from an estimated 4.4 million.

77 MILLION: The projected population of the UK in 2060, making it the most populous country in Europe.

7 MILLION: The projected population decrease in Poland, which is expected to fall from 38 million at present to 31 million in 2060.

521 MILLION: The projected peak population for Europe in 2035, after which time it is expected to decline to 506 million by 2060.

30 PER CENT: The projected proportion of people aged 65 or more in 2060, up from 17 per cent at present.

48 YEARS: The projected median age for the EU population in 2060, up from 40 years at present.

Source: Eurostat report on population trends.

• The report is available at http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat

© 2008 The Irish Times