EU Population Reaches 452 Million in January 2026, Fifth Year of Growth After 2021 Drop

The European Union population stood at 452 million in January 2026, an increase of 706,000 from the previous year, Eurostat data reported by Euronews showed. This marked the fifth straight year of growth after a decline in 2021. Germany remained the largest member state with 83.5 million residents, followed by France at 69.1 million, Italy at 58.9 million, Spain at 49.6 million and Poland at 36.3 million.

The five countries together accounted for two-thirds of the total EU population. Sixteen member states recorded population increases in the year to January 2026. Malta posted the highest growth rate at 24 per 1,000 people, followed by Cyprus at 14 and Luxembourg at 13.

Latvia, Estonia and Hungary recorded the steepest declines. Since 2012, net migration has offset a negative natural change in which deaths exceed births. Average annual growth has slowed from 3 million people per year in the 1960s to 600,000 per year in the 2010s.

France recorded more deaths than births in 2025 for the first time since the end of World War II. President Emmanuel Macron called for demographic rearmament, and the government introduced additional parental leave to encourage higher birth rates. Eurostat projects the EU population will fall by 53 million people, or 11.7 percent, by 2100, mainly because of lower birth rates.