ISTANBUL

The share of people age 80 and over in EU countries’ overall population rose 73.5% in the last 20 years from 3.4% in 2001 to 5.9% in 2020, the 27-member bloc's statistical department said.

"The average age for mothers at the birth of their first child is also increasing: from 28.8 years in 2013 to 29.4 years in 2019," Eurostat said on Friday.

It added: "The share of live births to mothers over 40 in the EU has more than doubled: from 2.4% in 2001 to 5.4% in 2019."

Newly released statistics showed that while the EU population has been growing since the turn of the millennium – mostly due to migration – this rising trend was interrupted last year, most of which was consumed by coronavirus.

As of the beginning of 2021, the total EU population inched down to 447 million from 447.3 million on Jan. 1, 2020.

The data also showed that Moroccans and Albanians were the largest two groups acquiring citizenship from the member states of the EU during 2014 to 2019, and Turkish citizens were number three until 2018.

"However, in 2019 British citizens took third place," it added, noting the effect of Brexit.