The number of foreign-born people living in the EU is set to reach a record high of 64.2 million in 2025, according to a report released on Wednesday.
The figure compares with 40 million in 2010 and represents an increase of about 2.1 million by 2024, according to a report by the Center for Research and Analysis on Migration in Berlin.
The report draws on data from Eurostat and the UN refugee agency for its findings.
Germany remains the largest host
Germany still has the largest immigrant population in the European Union, with approximately 18 million foreign-born people living in the country, up from 10 million in 2010 – an increase of almost 70%.
The report states that:
- About 21.2% of Germany’s population are immigrants, of whom 72% are of working age.
- The number of immigrants living in Germany is expected to increase by approximately 300,000 between 2024 and 2025, an increase of 1.7%. This is half the EU average of 3.4%.
- Germany also hosts by far the largest number of refugees overall, with 2.7 million living in the country.
- Spain was recently the country with the fastest growth, with its foreign-born population increasing by 700,000 to reach 9.5 million in 2024. This is an increase of 8%, more than double the EU average.
What else was shown in the report?
Although Germany leads in absolute immigration figures, many smaller countries are at relatively greater risk.
Asylum applications reduced by more than a quarter
In 2025, the total number of asylum applications in the EU was 669,365, 26.6% less than in 2024.
- Nearly three-quarters of those applications came from Spain, Italy, France and Germany.
- Although Germany has by far the largest population of refugees, Cyprus is the country with the highest share of refugees relative to its population at 4.8%.
- This compares with 3.2% in Germany and 0.5% in Italy, the EU country with the smallest relative share of refugees.
Edited by: Shawn Sinico
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