Demographic change means population ageing with the perspective of shrinking. The pace and pattern of both processes display high regional variation.
 

Regional Demographic Change Index

The RDC Index captures regional demographic change by accounting for its two dimensions population ageing and population shrinking. It mirrors the extent and timepath of demographic change in a region, taking values between 0 and 1. Values very close to 0 (1) will only occur if a region simultaneously displays extremely low (high) ageing and shrinking as compared to all periods and all regions.

Regional Demographic Change Types

RDC Type shows whether a region´s population ages faster or slower and grows less or even shrinks as compared to the EU-27 average. The comparison allows a classification of all 264 regions into four types ( shrinking/lower growth, faster ageing; shrinking/lower growth, slower ageing; higher growth, slower ageing; higher growth, faster ageing) as compared to the EU-27 average in one of the three time periods under consideration.

Dimensions of Regional Demographic Change

Demographic change is a two-dimensional concept: Population ageing is measured as the change in mean age in a time period. Population shrinking is defined as negative percentage change in population density.
 
All Data is available for 1990, 2004, 2030 and for periods 1990-2004, 2004 - 2030, 1990 - 2030.