The fertility rate across the EU’s 27 countries decreased to 1.38 live births per woman in 2023, below the replacement level of 2.1, marking the largest annual decline since 1961 according to Eurostat. With declining birth rates since the mid-1960s, Europe’s population is aging rapidly, leading to labor shortages and increased migration concerns, while some countries like Bulgaria, France, and Hungary reported higher fertility rates compared to Malta, Spain, and Lithuania. Despite more deaths than births, the EU population grew to 449.2 million in 2023 due to migration.
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Starmer accused of ‘holding farmers in contempt’ after axing post-Brexit payment
Ministers are accused of showing "contempt" towards farmers by suspending applications for a post-Brexit payment scheme, sparking what is called a "war on farmers". Tory leader Kemi Badenoch criticized Labour for canceling the sustainable farming incentive just before tax returns were due, leading to anger among farmers and protests. Despite Labour's decision, Sir Keir Starmer pointed out that the Tories had also cancelled the scheme without sufficient notice in previous years, leading to further tensions...
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