Record Number Of Immigrants Reside In EU In 2025, Reaching 64 Million

The number of immigrants living in the European Union reached an unprecedented 64 million in 2025, according to a report released Wednesday, solidifying a sustained migration trend across the bloc despite a recent decline in annual asylum applications.

The report by the Berlin branch of the Danish non-profit Rockwool foundation, which drew on data from Eurostat and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), found that foreign-born residents now account for approximately 14% of the EU's total population. This marks a significant increase from 2010, when the bloc was home to an estimated 40 million migrants.

While the total number of migrants rose by 2.1 million in 2025, this annual increase is actually half a million lower than the figure recorded in 2024, suggesting a potential deceleration in the pace of growth.

Germany Remains Top Host

In absolute terms, Germany continues to be the EU's primary destination for immigrants. The country is now home to nearly 18 million foreign-born people, up from 10.5 million 15 years ago, representing a roughly 70% increase . Notably, 72% of Germany's immigrant population is of working age, underscoring the demographic impact of migration on the labor force.

Germany also hosts the largest number of refugees in the EU, with 2.7 million living within its borders.

While Germany leads in total numbers, Spain has emerged as the EU's leader in migrant population growth. The country accounted for approximately one-third of the total EU increase in 2025, adding about 700,000 foreign-born residents . This 8% annual increase is more than double the EU average, bringing Spain's total immigrant population to 9.5 million.

The report highlights a significant disparity in how migrants are distributed across the bloc. While the EU average share of foreign-born residents is 14.2%, smaller member states experience much higher concentrations.

Luxembourg tops the list, with immigrants accounting for over half (51.6%) of its population, followed by Malta (approximately 32%) and Cyprus (28%) . Ireland and Austria also report relatively high shares at around 23%.

At the other end of the spectrum, several Eastern European countries have immigrant populations below 5%, including Slovakia, Bulgaria, and Poland. Despite ranking last among EU states in terms of share, Poland remains the second-largest refugee host, with about 1 million people.

In a notable counterpoint to the rising immigrant population, the number of asylum applications in the EU fell sharply in 2025. A total of 669,365 asylum applications were submitted, a decrease of 26.6% compared to the previous year. Spain, Italy, France, and Germany together accounted for nearly three-quarters of all applications, even as applications declined across most of the continent.

The report notes that asylum applications from nationals of visa-free countries, particularly from Latin America, have become a growing share of the total.