A new report released Wednesday finds a record 64.2 million foreign-born people living in European Union member states in 2025. That figure compares with about 40 million in 2010 and is roughly 2.1 million higher than in 2024, according to the Centre for Research and Analysis on Migration at RFBerlin. The study is based on Eurostat and UN Refugee Agency data.
Germany remains the EU’s largest host country for foreign-born residents, with nearly 18 million people born abroad—up from around 10 million in 2010, an increase of roughly 70%. Immigrants account for about 21.2% of Germany’s population, and an estimated 72% of them are of working age. Between 2024 and 2025 Germany’s foreign-born population rose by about 300,000, a 1.7% increase, which is roughly half the EU average growth rate of 3.4% over the same period. In absolute terms Germany also hosts the largest number of refugees, about 2.7 million.
Spain recorded the fastest recent growth in foreign-born residents: its foreign-born population climbed by roughly 700,000 in 2024 to reach 9.5 million, an increase of about 8%—more than double the EU average growth.
The share of foreign-born residents varies widely across the bloc. Luxembourg tops the list, with immigrants making up approximately 52% of its population, well above the EU average of about 14%. Malta follows at around 32%, Cyprus at about 28%, and both Ireland and Austria near 23%. At the lower end, Lithuania, Hungary and Romania each register immigrant shares below 10%, while Slovakia, Bulgaria and Poland all fall below 5%.
Asylum applications across the EU fell sharply in 2025, totaling 669,365—down 26.6% from 2024. Spain, Italy, France and Germany together accounted for nearly three-quarters of those applications. While Germany hosts the largest refugee population in absolute terms, Cyprus has the highest share of refugees relative to its population at about 4.8%. Germany’s refugee share is roughly 3.2%, and Italy’s is the smallest among the compared countries at around 0.5%.
The report highlights continuing shifts in migration patterns and the growing diversity of immigrant experiences across member states, reflecting differences in labor markets, asylum flows and national policies.
Edited by: Sean Sinico