An opportunity rather than a problem

The perspectives for the growth of Europe's population in the coming years paint a worrying picture. Yet, the ageing of European society is not only a threat to future socio-economic sustainability, but is already an alarming reality. The demographic balance is of particular concern in Catalonia, where experts estimate that life expectancy will continue to rise against a backdrop of fewer young people thanks to emigration and one of the lowest birth rates in Europe. The main solution to turn the situation around and ensure healthy population growth is immigration. Without the social and economic contribution of migrants, there will be little chance to reverse a trend in which the older generation comes to outnumber the younger generation. Migrants tend to be of working and fertile age, thereby helping to plug the gap between either end of the population pyramid. Moreover, we are currently experiencing a refugee crisis, with thousands of people desperate to start a new life in Europe. Perhaps rather than seeing it as a crisis, we should start seeing the arrival of fresh blood as an opportunity to build a sustainable society for the future.