The population of immigrants living across the European Union has surged to an unprecedented 64.2 million in 2025, marking a significant rise of about 2.1 million from the previous year, according to fresh migration data.
A report released on Wednesday by the German Centre for Research and Analysis on Migration in Berlin showed a sharp increase when compared to 40 million recorded in 2010, drawing on figures from Eurostat and the UN Refugee Agency.
Germany continues to dominate as the top destination for foreign-born residents, hosting nearly 18 million people, with about 72 percent falling within the working-age bracket. Meanwhile, Spain has emerged as the fastest-growing hub, adding roughly 700,000 migrants to reach a total of 9.5 million.
Tommaso Frattini, one of the authors of the report, said “Germany remains the main destination for migrants in Europe, both in absolute terms and, to a significant extent, relative to its population.’’
The findings further revealed stark disparities in migration distribution across the bloc. Smaller nations such as Luxembourg, Malta, and Cyprus are experiencing disproportionately higher shares of immigrants relative to their population sizes.
In terms of asylum requests, the burden appears heavily skewed, with Spain, Italy, France, and Germany collectively accounting for nearly three-quarters of all applications. Germany also leads in hosting refugees, with a total of 2.7 million recorded.
