According to data from January 1, 2025, the population of the European Union was 450.4 million, which is almost 1.071 million more than the previous year.
The increase was recorded for the third consecutive year, following a decline in 2021 due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the recent population growth is largely explained by increased migration flows.
Since 2012, the natural decline in population (more deaths than births) has been offset by positive net migration, the report notes. Compared to 1960, the population of the European Union has increased by 95.9 million people. At the same time, growth rates have gradually slowed in recent decades: the EU population grew by an average of about 0.9 million people per year between 2005 and 2024, while the average annual increase in the 1960s was almost 3 million people.
By January 1, 2025, almost half (47%) of the total EU population was made up of residents of Germany (19%), France (15%) and Italy (13%). Malta has a population of 0.6 million, while Germany has 83.6 million.
Last year, eight EU countries saw a decline in population, with the most significant declines in Latvia, Hungary, Poland and Estonia. The most significant population growth was recorded in Malta, Ireland and Luxembourg.
