In a report on
population structure in the
eurzone published today by
NCB Stockbrokers, economist
Eunan King sounded a warning
to people investing in
overseas property.
He said that without
similar population
demographics to our own, it
is unlikely that EU
countries from the Accession
States will enjoy a boom
like Ireland has experienced
in recent years.
King said: 'People expect
that a lot of the ten
Accession countries are
going to have the same boom
as we has seen in the last
ten years. They're probably
not going to have that
because those countries
don't have the same
population structure as we
have. There isn't the
demagraphic influence that
Ireland has had which is
driving property prices up
so dramatically here.'
The report, called
European Population Outlook
2020, says that Ireland's
population structure is
unique in comparison with
the rest of Europe - we have
a high birth rate, a low
number of dependants IE
those over 64 and we have
proportionately high
immigration from the
Accession states.
NCB's report says there
will be marginal growth in
the 15-64 age group in the
EU 25 until 2010, but in
Ireland the 15-64 age group
will rise much more sharply
than in any other European
country.
Dependency, or those aged
over 65 and under 15, is set
to be quite stable in the EU
for the next four years,
then it will rise sharply,
but dependency in the
Accession countries will be
low because of low numbers
in the over 65 age group.
The report from NCB also
says that proportionately
Ireland the biggest number
of its immigrants from the
Accession countries, and
that Ireland, Luxembourg,
Cyprus and Portugal are
expected to have the biggest
immigrant flows per 1,000
population in the years
ahead.