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Data set notes

European Health for All database

Indicators: 565

Updated: 18 October 2024

Contact: Data and Digital Health Unit (DDH)

The following abbreviations are used in the indicator titles:

• SDR: age-standardized death rates (see HFA-DB user manual/Technical notes, page 13, for details)

• FTE: full-time equivalent

• PP: physical persons

• PPP$: purchasing power parities expressed in US $, an internationally comparable scale reflecting the relative domestic purchasing powers of currencies.

More information: http://www.euro.who.int/en/data-and-evidence/databases/european-health-for-all-database-hfa-db

Indicator notes

% of population aged 65+ years, females
Indicator code: E999902.F This indicator shares the definition with the parent indicator \"\".

Estimate of resident (de jure) population on 1 July of given calendar year. Usually, it is calculated as an average of end-year estimates. The central statistical office (CSO) is the source in most countries. This data item is used as denominator to calculate most other indicators. Although \"de facto\" population would be preferable, the \"de jure\" population is used because it is more commonly available, particularly in age-disaggregated form. However, in case of some countries, particularly in those which were effected by war situation in 1990s, the difference between official population estimates and actually residing in country population (i.e. de facto) may be too large. In such cases special efforts should be made to provide also estimates for \"de facto\" population to be used as a denominator. Since 2000 data collection cycle, a separate entry for \"de facto\" population is provided (indicator 999997).WHO usually receives mid-year population by sex and age, together with annual mortality data. However, for some countries there is a delay of 2 or even more years in reporting mortality and population by age, making it impossible to calculate many indicators for which numerator data are available for more recent years. In such cases, countries are expected to provide at least provisional figures on total population by sex only; these will be automatically replaced later with the final population data from the mortality data reporting system.

If these data are not available, UN population estimates (based on projections) are used for the most recent year until they are replaced by national estimates received from countries. In some case this may cause some inconsistent trend for the latest year._

Country/Area notes

Albania

INSTAT (estimation).

Armenia

Source of data: National Statistical Service of the Republic of Armenia www.armstat.am . Data
collected annually.
Note: In 2005 retroactively adjusted population data was received and all indicators were
re-calculated.

Belgium

Source: Directorate General Statistics and Economic Information (National Institute for Statistics;
http://www.wiv-isp.be/epidemio/spma/).
2011 marks a (slight) break. From January 1, 2011 the definition of the population imposed by
Eurostat was applied; this mainly means the integration of asylum seekers listed in the waiting
registry in our statistics.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Federal Office of Statistics http://www.fzs.ba/
Statistical Institute of Republic of Srpska; http:// www.rzs.rs.ba

Croatia

Definition changed between 1995-1996 from 'de jure' to 'de facto' principles. Population estimate
for 1996 has been based on the 1991 census according to the 'de facto' principle, balance of
international migration 1991-1996 and natural increase for that respective period.
The population for 1995 was estimated by the 'de jure' principle which means that persons were
enrolled according to the place of permanent residence, regardless whether present or absent.
Temporarily present persons were not included in the total number of inhabitants.

Cyprus

Coverage: Data refer to population in government controlled areas.
Figures from 2002 onwards have been revised according to the results of the Population Census 2011.
The data submitted last year was also revised; however that was not the case in the excel file sent
for revision this year, since the data included in this file refer to the end of the year
population.

Czechia

Source: Czech Statistical Office (CZSO).

Denmark

Source: Statbank Denmark (www.dst.dk)
1970 - 1992: Table HISB5
1993 - 2006: Table BEF6
2007: table BEF607
2008 - : table FOLK1

Estonia

Source: Statistical Office of Estonia.
Estimation method: Average end-of-year estimates.
Revised numbers between censuses 1989 and 2000.
Data for 2000-2012 revised in December 2014.

Finland

Source: Statistics Finland

France

Source of data: Institut national de la statistique et des etudes economiques (INSEE)
Coverage: France metropolitan only.

Georgia

Population estimates for Georgia from the early 1990s are particularly inaccurate due to armed
conflicts in the first half of the 1990s and unregistered migration. From 1993-1994 the Abkhasia and
Tzkhinvali regions, which are not under central government control, were not included in national
mortality and other health-related statistics. Population figures, that were used as denominators
for calculation of mortality rates and other indicators in the HFA-DB, have been adjusted to take
into account the non-reporting regions and migration. These figures may still be significantly
biased though and the interpretation of mortality-based and the majority of other indicator data for
Georgia during and after the 1990s should be done with caution, keeping in mind the relatively low
accuracy of raw data used for both numerator and denominator.
Source: National Statistics Office of Georgia (GeoStat)

Germany

Source: Federal Statistical Office, Update of the state of the population - annual average,
Fachserie 1, Reihe 1.3.
http://www.destatis.de or http://www.gbe-bund.de
Coverage: The average population includes all persons, who have their (permanent) place of residence
in the federal territory. Foreign employees who live in the federal territory are included. Members
of the foreign armed forces are not included.
Estimation method: The data of the annual average population for one calendar year is the arithmetic
average of 12 monthly averages. The monthly averages are calculated from the state of population at
the beginning and at the end of a month.
Break in time series: The population numbers prior to 2011 are taken from the Update of the
Population based on earlier censuses (Former Federal Republic of Germany 1987, German Democratic
Republic 1990). Starting from 2011 the population numbers are based on the Federal Census 2011 and
are still provisional (census data as of 10 April 2014). Therefore, for the years 2011 and 2012
differences to previous publications of population related numbers are possible.

Hungary

Population figures for 1990-2000 have been retroactively adjusted using latest population census
data.

Iceland

Source: Statistics Iceland.
1997-2010: ?de facto? population on 1 July.
Before 1997 and again as of 2011: average of population.

Ireland

Source: Central Statistics Office, Population estimates at mid- April each year are preliminary
estimates. Population estimates for 2007-2010 are final. 2011 data comes from Census of Population.
Data for 2012 is preliminary.

Israel

Source: Statistical Abstract of Israel, Central Bureau of Statistics.

Italy

Source: ISTAT.
It is calculated as an average of beginning-year estimates.

Lithuania

Source: Central Statistical Office (CSO).
August 2003: Population figures for 1989-2001 have been retroactively adjusted using latest
population census data.
June 2013: Population figures for 2001-2011 have been retroactively adjusted using latest population
census data.

Luxembourg

Source: STATEC. Service central de la statistique et des etudes,economiques.

Malta

The national statistics office (NSO), since 2000, gives the mid-year resident population (Maltese
and foreign residents). Thus mid-year population should also include all resident population in the
Maltese islands.

Montenegro

Source: Statistical Office of Montenegro. Estimates from 2004 to 2013 are in accordance with the
methodology of last census 2011.

Netherlands

Source of data: Statistics Netherlands, Vital statistics system.

North Macedonia

Source: State Statistical Office (SSO)

Poland

Source of data: Central Statistical Office.
Data for 2010 and 2011 were verified after National Census 2011

Portugal

Source of data: National Statistical Institute Coverage: National
Note: The final estimates of the resident population 2001 - 2010, were revised on the basis of the
final results of the 2011 Census.

Republic of Moldova

Source of data: Census and current statistics on natural movement and migration of population.
Current estimates of the resident population on 1 January of given calendar year are calculated on
the basis of the results of the last census adding annually the number of births and arrivals on a
given territory and subtracting the number of deaths and those who left given territory. This takes
into account changes in the population resulting from administrative-territorial reforms.
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) receives data on the natural movement of the population from
the Ministry of Justice (Civil Status Service). The databases of administrative sources: Ministry of
Information Technology and Communications (State Information Resources Center ®Registru¯) and the
Ministry of the Internal Affairs (Bureau for Migration and Refugees) provide Information on
migration.
For more information: www.statistica.md.
Coverage: From 1997, livebirth and mortality data (plus population data used to calculate mortality
rates), do not include data for Transnistria. From 2004, total population figures published in
HFA-DB exclude Transnistria. Data on the natural growth of the population include individual cases
of registration of births and deaths of inhabitants of Transnistria and Bender municipality. The
migration growth included in the current calculations of population differs from the reporting data
due to amendments in some cases of relocation of residents of Transnistria and Bender municipality.

Romania

Source of data: the National Institute for Statistics of Romania.

Slovakia

The source of this data is The Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic which provides approximated
values, on the basis of indices of natural movement of inhabitants, for 1 July. The data about the
number of population are updated after taking a census of inhabitants in ten-year period. The last
census was taken in 1991.

Slovenia

Source of data: Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia.
Break in time series: The data between 1995 and 2007 include:
citizens of Slovenia with permanent residence in Slovenia, excluding those who have been abroad more
than three months and gave notice of their departure at the administrative unit of their permanent
residence.
foreigners with issued permission for permanent residence in Slovenia, who registered a permanent
residence.
foreigners with issued permission for temporary residence in Slovenia, who registered a temporary
residence
foreigners with a valid work permit or business visa, who registered a temporary residence in
Slovenia.
refugees according to the Asylum Act to whom asylum was admitted and refugee status was granted in
Slovenia
persons under temporary protection in Slovenia.
From 2008 onwards, the population of Slovenia consists of all persons usually resident in Slovenia,
i.e. persons, regardless of their citizenship, who intend to live in Slovenia for at least one year.
This includes the following:
Persons who have registered permanent residence in Slovenia, excluding those who have been abroad
for one year or more and gave notice of their departure in the administrative unit of their
permanent residence.
Persons who have registered temporary residence in Slovenia with the total duration of at least one
year.

Persons who have registered both permanent and temporary residence in Slovenia, excluding those who
have been abroad for one year or more and gave notice of their departure in the administrative unit
of their permanent residence.

Spain

Source: National Statistics Institute, extracted from ?Population figures and Demographic Censuses.
Population figures.?
http://www.ine.es/en/inebaseDYN/cp30321/cp_inicio_en.htm

Sweden

Source of data: Statistics Sweden, Statistikdatabasen, Medelfolkmangd efter kon och ar (online
Statistical Database, average population by sex and year, www.scb.se;)
http://www.statistikdatabasen.scb.se/pxweb/sv/ssd/START__BE__BE0101__BE0101D/MedelfolkFodelsear/tabl
e/tableViewLayout1/?rxid=57ca8d59-15d0-4259-bbdb-9de2cbd57884)

Tajikistan

Population figures have been adjusted back for the period 1989-2000 using population census data of
2000.

Türkiye

Source of data: TURKSTAT (Turkish Statistical Institute).
From 1970 to 1989 data were based on mid-year estimations are calculated by using the results of
census.
From 1990 to 2006, data were based on mid-year estimations of national population projections
(cohort-component method) and are calculated by using the results of 2008 Address Based Population
Registration System (ABPRS) and final results of 2008 Demographic and Health Survey.
During 2007-2008 ABPRS (Address-Based Population Registration System) was introduced and the
population is according to ABPRS.
Between 2007 and 2013, the indicators are based on the mid-year values, which were calculated and
converted from the end of year results of ABPRS (Address Based Population Registration System).

Ukraine

Estimate of resident inhabitants for year N as an average of estimate for 1 Jan N and 1 Jan N+1.
Source of data: State Statistic Department

United Kingdom

Source: Office for National Statistics.

General notes

What is the % of Population Aged 65+ Years, Females?

Understanding the demographic composition of a population is crucial for effective policy making and resource allocation. The percentage of the population aged 65 years and older, particularly females, is a significant indicator used by governments and organizations to gauge the aging trend within a society. This statistic helps in planning for healthcare, retirement, and other social services needed to support an aging population. By analyzing this data, we can predict potential challenges and opportunities that come with an increasing number of elderly citizens, ensuring that strategies are in place to promote their well-being and continued contribution to society.

How to Calculate the % of Population Aged 65+ Years, Females?

The calculation of the percentage of the population aged 65 years and older, specifically females, involves several demographic data points. Statisticians begin by determining the total number of females within the national population, then isolate the segment that is 65 years and older. The formula used is straightforward: (Number of females aged 65+ / Total female population) x 100. This calculation provides a clear picture of the proportion of elderly females, aiding in comparative demographic studies and helping policymakers to tailor programs that address the needs of this segment of the population.

Importance of the % of Population Aged 65+ Years, Females

The demographic indicator of females aged 65 and older is pivotal for multiple sectors within a country. Governments rely on this data to adjust social security measures and healthcare services to better serve an aging female population. Additionally, this statistic is crucial for planning long-term care facilities and community support programs tailored to older women. Understanding the needs and the proportion of elderly females helps in crafting targeted interventions that enhance their quality of life and support their independence in society.

Strengths and Limitations of the % of Population Aged 65+ Years, Females

While the data on the percentage of elderly females in a population is invaluable, it comes with its own set of strengths and limitations that must be considered in its application.

Strengths

This demographic indicator offers a standardized metric that facilitates international comparisons and longitudinal studies, providing insights into the aging patterns across different regions. It supports government and non-governmental organizations in designing age-appropriate health services, social programs, and policies. Moreover, this data assists in economic planning, helping predict changes in the market demand influenced by an aging population, and aids in planning for sustainable community development.

Limitations

However, the accuracy of this statistic heavily depends on the quality of demographic data collection. In regions where data collection is inconsistent or inaccurate, the reliability of this indicator diminishes. Furthermore, this metric does not account for seasonal population fluctuations, which can be significant in areas with high tourism or seasonal employment. This can lead to misrepresentations of the actual demographic landscape at certain times of the year. Additionally, sudden demographic shifts due to emergencies or crises are not immediately reflected in this data, potentially delaying responsive measures.

Overall, while the percentage of the population aged 65+ years, females, is a crucial demographic indicator, it must be interpreted with an understanding of its broader context and inherent limitations to effectively inform policy and planning.