Already today, one in five Europeans is over 65.

Omissions

• The MEP stated 'one in five' (20%), but the actual Eurostat figure for 1 January 2025 is 22.0%, meaning the share of older Europeans is slightly higher than the claim suggests.
• The most recent data available at the time of the session (May 2026) referred to 1 January 2025. Data for 1 January 2026 may not yet have been published by Eurostat.

Sources

• PrimaryEurostat Statistics Explained – Population structure and ageingOn 1 January 2025, the EU population was estimated at 450.6 million people and more than one-fifth (22.0%) of it was aged 65 years and over.
• PrimaryEurostat – Demography of Europe – 2026 editionOn 1 January 2025, there were 99 million people aged 65 years old or more, representing 22% of the total EU population.