(29 September 2016) – In 2015, almost 27 million people aged 80 or over were living in the European Union (EU), 7 million more than in 2005.
An increase in both their absolute number and their share in total population is observed in nearly every EU Member State.
The ageing of the population structure is, at least partly, the result of an increasing life expectancy, which grew at the age of 80 from 8.4 years in 2004 to 9.5 years in 2014.
Although their proportion shrank between 2005 and 2015, women still accounted for around two-thirds of elderly people in the EU. This overrepresentation of women among people aged 80 or over is observed in all EU Member States.