Migration drives EU population to 512 million

The population of the European Union was estimated at 511.8 million on 1 January 2017, up 1.5 million (3%) from the same date last year.

As many births as deaths (5.1 million) were recorded during 2016, meaning the population change can be attributed to net migration.

Germany is by far the most populated of the EU member states, with 82.8 million residents or 16.2% of the total EU population, followed by France at 67 million or 13.1%, and the UK at 65.8 million or 12.9%.

Almost half (13) of the member states (Bulgaria, Denmark, Estonia, Ireland, Croatia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Slovenia, Slovakia and Finland) have a share of the EU population of less than 1.5%.

18 member states saw their populations increase in 2016, with the largest relative increases being observed in Luxembourg (+19.8% per 1,000 residents), Sweden (+14.5%), and Malta (+13.8%).

The population meanwhile decreased in ten member states, most notably Lithuania (-14.2%), Latvia (-9.6%), and Croatia (-8.7%).

These latest figures – published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union – have been released ahead of World Population Day on 11 July, which is this year dedicated to improving access to safe and effective family planning as a human right and key tenet of gender equality and women’s empowerment.

Source: Pan European Networks