Europe's essential import

By THE DATA TEAM

IMMIGRANTS have become an easy target for populist politicians in Europe. Sluggish economic growth, an influx of refugees and the recent terrorist attacks in Paris have stirred up public antipathy to foreigners. But Europe's ageing workforces need replenishing. The median age of Europeans living in their own country is 43, compared with 35 for migrants

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Britain does particularly well in attracting young and employable foreigners: most are in their 20s and 30s. Some two-thirds of the immigrants in Germany, France and Italy are aged between 25 and 64, the prime working age; only around half of the natives are. Immigrants are often better educated than the locals, too. One OECD study found that in two-thirds of European countries in 2010-11, a higher share of immigrants had been to university than the native-born population. That helps them to find work, rather than sponge off the state.