Eurostat: EU population increased in 2024 for fourth consecutive year
On January 1 2025, the EU population was estimated at 450.4 million inhabitants, 1 070 702 more than the previous year, the bloc’s statistics agency said on July 11.
This was the fourth consecutive year in which the EU population grew, following a decrease in 2021 caused by the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The population growth observed can be largely attributed to the increased migratory movements post-Covid-19, Eurostat said.
Since 2012, the negative natural change (more deaths than births) in EU population has been outnumbered by the positive net migration.
When considering a broader time frame, the population of the EU grew from 354.5 million in 1960 to 450.4 million on January 1 2025, an increase of 95.9 million people.
The rate of population growth has gradually slowed in recent decades. The EU population increased, on average, by about 0.9 million people a year during the period 2005–2024, compared with an average increase of about three million people a year during the 1960s.
The population of EU countries on January 1 2025 ranged from 83.6 million in Germany to 0.6 million in Malta.
Germany (19 per cent of the EU population), France (15 per cent) and Italy (13 per cent) were the most populous countries in the EU, comprising almost half (47 per cent) of the total EU population on January 1 2025.
Between January 1 2024 and January 1 2025, eight EU countries recorded a decrease in population. Latvia (crude rate of total population change of -9.9 per 1000 people), Hungary (-4.7), Poland and Estonia (-3.4) recorded the highest decreases.
Among the 19 EU countries that registered the highest population growth rates, Malta (+19.0 per 1000 people) led, followed by Ireland (+16.3) and Luxembourg (+14.7), Eurostat said.
(Photo: Abdulhamid AlFadhly/ freeimages.com)
