As of January 1, 2025, the population of the European Union reached 450.4 million people, marking an increase of over one million compared to the previous year, according to new estimates from Eurostat released on World Population Day. This marks the fourth consecutive year of growth for the EU’s population, following a decline in 2021 that was attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eurostat attributes this steady upward trend primarily to migration, which has offset the ongoing negative natural growth rate observed since 2012. While the EU has continued to expand in terms of population, the pace has notably decelerated in recent decades. In the 1960s, the EU’s population was growing at a rate of around 3 million people per year. By contrast, the annual increase between 2005 and 2024 averaged only around 900,000.

Since 1960, when the EU's member states were home to 354.5 million people, the total population has grown by nearly 96 million. However, recent patterns show that this expansion is increasingly dependent on external migration rather than natural demographic trends.

Within the EU, Germany remains the most populous member state, with 83.6 million people. At the other end of the scale, Malta has the smallest population, at approximately 600,000.

In Bulgaria, the population as of the beginning of 2025 is recorded at 6,437,360, representing a decrease of 8,121 compared to a year earlier. For historical context, Bulgaria’s population in 1960 stood at 7,829,246, highlighting a long-term demographic decline.

Across the Union, population decreases were observed in eight member states over the past year. The most pronounced drops were in Latvia, Hungary, Poland, and Estonia. Hungary's decline is particularly notable in light of its government's vocal focus on pro-natalist and demographic policies.

On the other hand, 19 EU countries recorded population growth, with the highest rates seen in Malta, Ireland, and Luxembourg. Together, Germany, France, and Italy remain the demographic core of the Union, accounting for nearly half, 47 percent, of the EU’s entire population as of the start of 2025. Germany alone comprises 19 percent, followed by France with 15 percent, and Italy with 13 percent.

Source: Eurostat