The European Union’s population stood at 451 million on January 1, 2025, marking an increase of around one million people compared with the previous year, according to data released by Eurostat on May 21.
The population remains heavily concentrated in a handful of large member states. Germany continues to lead with around 84 million residents, followed by France with 69 million, Italy with 59 million, Spain with 49 million, and Poland with 36 million. Together, these five countries account for roughly two-thirds of the EU’s total population.
At the lower end of the scale, Malta remains the smallest member state by population with 574,000 inhabitants, followed by Luxembourg with 682,000 and Cyprus with 983,000.
Looking at longer-term trends, the EU’s population has increased modestly over the past two decades, rising from 435 million in 2005 to 451 million in 2025. However, this overall growth masks significant differences between member states. Nineteen countries recorded increases during the period, while eight saw declines.
The strongest relative growth was registered in Luxembourg, Malta, Cyprus, and Ireland. In contrast, the steepest declines were recorded in Latvia, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Romania, and Croatia. In absolute terms, France and Spain saw the largest population gains, while Romania, Poland, and Bulgaria recorded the biggest decreases.
Age structure data shows a continuing shift toward an older population. On January 1, 2025, the EU had around 65 million people under the age of 15, representing 14 percent of the total population. Ireland recorded the highest share of children, while Italy had the lowest.
Young people under the age of 19 accounted for about 20 percent of the EU population. Ireland again had the highest proportion, followed by France and Sweden, while Malta had the lowest.
At the opposite end of the demographic spectrum, the share of people aged 80 and over reached 6 percent across the EU. Italy recorded the highest proportion among member states, followed by Germany, Greece, and Portugal. Over the last 20 years, every EU country has seen growth in this age group, with the most pronounced increases in several southern and eastern European states.
The broader 65-and-over population now stands at 99 million people, or 22 percent of the EU total. All member states have recorded increases in this age group since 2005, with Poland showing one of the sharpest rises.
The median age across the EU has also increased significantly, rising from 39.6 years in 2005 to 44.9 years in 2025. Italy has the highest median age at just over 49 years, followed by Bulgaria and Portugal, while Ireland, Luxembourg, and Malta have the youngest populations. The median age is higher for women than for men across the EU.
Migration continues to play a key role in shaping population dynamics. In 2024, nearly six million people moved into EU countries. Around three-quarters came from outside the bloc, while the rest moved between member states.
Spain, Germany, Italy, and France attracted the largest number of immigrants, accounting for more than half of all arrivals in the EU. At the other end of the scale, Slovakia, Latvia, Estonia, and Luxembourg recorded the lowest immigration figures.
At the same time, around 3.1 million people left EU countries in 2024. Spain, Germany, and France saw the highest emigration numbers, while Slovakia and Bulgaria recorded the lowest.
Eurostat also notes that nearly 10 percent of the EU population lives in a member state other than their country of citizenship. Of these, about 3 percent are citizens of another EU country and roughly 7 percent come from outside the bloc.
Luxembourg stands out as the country with the highest share of foreign EU citizens, followed by Cyprus and Austria. Malta, Estonia, and Cyprus have the largest proportions of non-EU nationals.
Citizenship acquisition also rose in 2024, with nearly 1.2 million people granted citizenship in EU countries, up 12 percent from the previous year. Syrians, Moroccans, and Albanians were among the most common recipients.
Diversity trends are also reflected in birth data. In 2024, almost a quarter of children in the EU were born to mothers who were not born in their country of residence, up from 18 percent a decade earlier. Luxembourg recorded the highest share, followed by Cyprus and Malta, while Romania, Bulgaria, and Slovakia had the lowest levels.