The populations of all European countries are ageing but with substantial differences in magnitude, speed and timing. Building upon Eurostat projections from 2010 Giampaolo Lanzieri, head of Eurostats Section Demography, Census and Projections, elucidates cross-country differences within Europe. The author concludes that while some Nordic and Western European countries may have already experienced the climax of the ageing process, others, mainly situated in Southern and Eastern Europe, may soon need to deal with the consequences of the rapidly increasing proportion of older people.