One in five inhabitants of the European Union, nearly 100 million people, is already over 65 years old.

Omissions

• The exact share is 22.0% (more than one-fifth), so 'one in five' (20%) slightly understates the real proportion; the accurate expression is 'more than one in five'.
• Eurostat's indicator is 'aged 65 years and over' (including exactly 65), whereas the claim says 'over 65' (ponad 65 lat), which strictly excludes those aged exactly 65 — a negligible but present definitional nuance.
• The reference date is 1 January 2025; the most recent available Eurostat figures at the session date (8 October 2026) are from that date.

Sources

• PrimaryEurostat — Demography of Europe, 2026 edition (interactive publication)On 1 January 2025, there were 99 million people aged 65 years old or more, representing 22% of the total EU population.
• PrimaryEurostat — Population structure and ageing (Statistics Explained)On 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.