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.
