Europe is aging rapidly, and the pressure is seen in birth rates, migration, and life expectancy.
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The European Union had 451 million inhabitants at the beginning of 2025, approximately one million more than in the previous year, but demographic data shows an increasingly aging population. The share of people aged at least 65 reached 22%, the median age rose to 44.9 years, and the fertility rate decreased to 1.34 children per woman.
The European Union had 451 million inhabitants on January 1, 2025, approximately one million more than in 2024, but new demographic data shows a Europe where the population is aging, birth rates remain low, and migration plays an important role in population evolution.
In short
The European Union had 451 million inhabitants at the beginning of 2025, compared to 435 million in 2005.
People aged at least 65 represented 22% of the EU population in 2025, compared to 17% in 2005.
The median age in the European Union increased from 39.6 years in 2005 to 44.9 years in 2025.
The fertility rate was 1.34 children per woman in 2024, below the level of 2.1 considered necessary for long-term population stability.
In 2024, nearly 6 million people immigrated to EU member states, while 3.1 million emigrated from a member state.
Data published in the 2026 edition of the interactive publication "Demography of Europe" outlines a significant demographic change for citizens, administrations, and labor markets. The European Union is facing not only a slowly growing population but also a change in age structure, with implications for pensions, health, long-term care, education, housing, and labor mobility.
The five most populous member states were Germany, with 84 million inhabitants, France, with 69 million, Italy, with 59 million, Spain, with 49 million, and Poland, with 36 million. Together, these five countries represented 66% of the population of the European Union.
At the other end, the least populated member states were Malta, with 574,000 inhabitants, Luxembourg, with 682,000, and Cyprus, with 983,000. The differences show how unevenly the population is distributed within the European Union, between very large states and states with populations under one million inhabitants.
In the last two decades, the EU population has grown from 435 million to 451 million, an increase of 4%. The growth has not been uniform. Nineteen member states recorded population increases, while eight recorded decreases.
The largest relative increases were in Luxembourg, with 48%, Malta, with 43%, Cyprus, with 34%, and Ireland, with 32%. The largest relative decreases were in Latvia, with minus 17%, Bulgaria, with minus 16%, Lithuania, with minus 14%, Romania, with minus 11%, and Croatia, with minus 10%.
In absolute terms, the largest population increases were in France and Spain, each with approximately 6 million more inhabitants. The largest absolute decreases were in Romania and Poland, each with approximately 2 million fewer inhabitants, and in Bulgaria, with about 1 million fewer.
Population aging is one of the clearest trends. In 2025, the European Union had 99 million people aged at least 65, which is 22% of the population. In 2005, the share of this age group was 17%.
People aged at least 80 represented 6% of the EU population in 2025. The highest shares were in Italy, nearly 8%, followed by Germany, Greece, and Portugal, each with 7%. In all member states, the number of people aged at least 80 has increased over the last 20 years.
At the same time, children and adolescents under 15 years represented 14% of the EU population, or 65 million people. Ireland had the highest share of this age group, nearly 19%, while Italy had the lowest, 12%.
Young people under 19 represented 20% of the EU population at the beginning of 2025. The highest shares were in Ireland, 25%, followed by France and Sweden, each with 23%. The lowest share was in Malta, 16%. In all member states, the share of people under 19 has decreased over the last 20 years.
The median age provides another picture of aging. At the level of the European Union, it increased from 39.6 years in 2005 to 44.9 years in 2025. In 2025, the highest median age was in Italy, 49.1 years, followed by Bulgaria and Portugal, each with 47.3 years, and Greece, with 47.2 years.
The lowest median ages were in Ireland, 39.6 years, Luxembourg, 39.8 years, and Malta, 40 years. Between 2005 and 2025, the median age increased the most in Romania, by 8.6 years, followed by Portugal, by 8.1 years, and Greece, by 8 years.
The difference between women and men is also visible in the population structure. On January 1, 2025, there were 230 million women and 221 million men living in the European Union. The ratio was 104.2 women for every 100 men, meaning there were 4.2% more women than men.
Life expectancy contributes to this demographic picture. In 2024, life expectancy at birth in the European Union was estimated at 81.5 years. The highest values were in Spain, 84 years, Sweden, 83.8 years, and Italy, 83.7 years. The lowest values were in Bulgaria, 75.8 years, Latvia, 76.4 years, and Romania, 76.5 years.
Women lived, on average, longer than men. In 2024, life expectancy was 84.1 years for women and 78.9 years for men, a difference of 5.2 years. The difference between women and men existed in all member states.
Birth rates remain one of the most important data for the future demographic of Europe. In 2024, the crude birth rate in the European Union was 7.9 live births per 1,000 people. The highest rates were in Cyprus, 10.0, Ireland, 9.9, and France, 9.6. The lowest were in Italy, 6.3, Spain, 6.5, Lithuania, and Greece, each with 6.6.
The fertility rate was 1.34 children per woman in 2024, down from 1.46 in 2004 and below the level of 2.1 children per woman, considered the level at which a population is stable in the long term. The highest values were in Bulgaria, 1.72 children per woman, and the lowest in Malta, 1.01.
The age at which women become mothers for the first time has increased. The average in the European Union rose from 28.9 years in 2014 to 29.9 years in 2024. The highest average ages for the first child were in Italy, 31.9 years, Luxembourg, 31.6 years, and Spain, 31.5 years. The lowest were in Bulgaria, 26.9 years, Romania, 27.2 years, and Slovakia, 27.4 years.
In 2024, approximately 3.6 million children were born in the European Union. The share of children born to mothers aged at least 40 was 6%, double that of 3% in 2004. The highest shares of births to mothers aged at least 40 were in Greece, 11%, Spain, 10%, and Italy and Ireland, each with 9%.
The data also shows that, in 2024, there were more deaths than births in the European Union. The crude rate of natural population change, the difference between live births and deaths, was minus 2.8. The largest negative values were in Latvia, minus 7.4, Bulgaria, minus 7.3, and Lithuania, minus 6.4. The largest positive values were in Ireland, plus 3.4, Cyprus, plus 3.1, and Luxembourg, plus 2.9.
Migration remains a central element of demographic change. In 2024, nearly 6 million people immigrated to EU member states. Of these, 4.2 million, or 74%, came from outside the EU, while 1.5 million, or 26%, had previously moved from one member state to another.
The largest numbers of immigrants were recorded in Spain, 1.289 million people, Germany, 1.079 million, Italy, 452,000, and France, 439,000. Together, these four countries received 57% of the people who immigrated to EU member states in 2024.
In the same year, 3.1 million people emigrated from EU member states. Of these, 1.5 million moved to another member state, and over 1.5 million moved outside the EU. For approximately 0.1 million emigrants, the country of their next residence was unknown.
Mobility and citizenship show how diverse the EU population has become. On January 1, 2025, nearly 10% of the population of the European Union, or 45 million people, had the citizenship of a country other than the one in which they lived. Of these, 14 million were citizens of another EU member state, and approximately 31 million were citizens of a country outside the EU.
Luxembourg had the highest share of citizens from other EU member states, 36%, followed by Cyprus and Austria, each with 10%. In the case of citizens from outside the EU, the highest shares were in Malta, 21%, Estonia, 16%, and Cyprus, 15%.
In 2024, member states granted citizenship to nearly 1.2 million people, 12% more than in 2023. The largest groups that obtained citizenship of an EU member state were Syrians, 110,000 people, Moroccans, 97,000, and Albanians, 48,000.
Demographic data not only describes how many people live in the European Union. They show how the structure of European societies is changing. An aging population can increase pressure on pension, health, and care systems. Low birth rates can exacerbate labor shortages. Migration and intra-European mobility can compensate for some imbalances, but they also raise questions about integration, access to public services, housing, education, and social cohesion.
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