Pillar 8: enhancing data for evidence-based policy making
Under this pillar, relevant data and analytical knowledge to address demographic challenges and support evidence-based policies is collected and presented.
About the initiative
Pillar 8 of the Talent Booster Mechanism focuses on enhancing analytical knowledge to support evidence-based policies on regional development and migration. This pillar aims to facilitate policy making by continuing the work of the Joint Research Centre on the Regional Social Scoreboard. The Commission (Eurostat) will invite Member States to provide more comprehensive statistical data on population movements within the EU, particularly regional migration flows, broken down by age and sex. Data on the location of essential services within the EU, such as education and healthcare, will be collected. This will provide valuable research and information to stakeholders, helping to address key challenges for social cohesion and a just transition.
Activities and outputs
Demographic and service data analyses will be delivered to provide valuable insights for addressing regional development challenges and enhancing social cohesion.
Key outputs will include:
- Regional data: More detailed demographic data at regional level and new regional population projections
- Local data: Local population data and projections
- Service-related data: Better data on service accessibility
Regional Data
First results from the 2021 census, including data on population by age and sex, have been published by Eurostat, followed by additional data and an interactive map.
Looking forward, the JRC ARDECO database will create a long time series of demographic data by the end of 2025, including births, deaths, natural change, and net migration at the NUTS-3 level, with data going back 30 years and, for some countries/indicators, even 60 years.
The JRC, together with Eurostat, will develop new regional population projections, taking into account migration by age and sex derived from the 2021 census. The first results will be published in the second half of 2025, with final results expected in the second half of 2026.
As an intermediate step, the JRC will produce a report on the "right to stay" by June 2025 and launch the regional section of the Atlas of Demography during the 2025 edition of the European Week of Regions and Cities.
Local data
In June 2024, Eurostat published the new population grid for 2021. For the first time, this now also includes a breakdown by age and sex, by country of birth and recent moves.
The JRC will develop local and grid population projections up to 2100 using the new population grid and time series of population data at the local administrative unit level. The results will be compatible with regional population projections and will be published in late 2025/early 2026.
The JRC will also publish an article on Strong Towns and Villages to understand what characteristics allow some settlements to have a more positive population change than their countries or their surroundings.
Service-related data
Regarding services, Eurostat has updated the collection of locations of primary and secondary schools and healthcare services for 2023. The European Tertiary Education Register (ETER) collects data on all higher education institutes in the EU, with DG REGIO identifying the location of different campuses.
The DG for Regional and Urban Policy has also published detailed data on road and rail accessibility for 2021.
Other services may be collected from open sources and commercial sources though this data is not guaranteed to be exhaustive and cannot be used to measure changes over time.