After a reduction in 2020 and 2021 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the population of the European Union (EU) has increased for the second consecutive year, rising from 447.6 million on January 1, 2023, to 449.2 million people on January 1, 2024.
The negative natural change, meaning more deaths than births, was outweighed by the positive migratory balance. The observed population growth can largely be attributed to the increase in post-COVID-19 migration movements and the influx of displaced persons from Ukraine who received temporary protection status in EU countries as a result of the Russian aggression war in February 2022.
When looking at a broader timeframe, the EU population grew from 354.5 million in 1960 to 449.2 million on January 1, 2024, an increase of 94.7 million people. The population growth rate has gradually decreased over the past decades: the EU population increased on average by around 0.6 million people per year during the period 2015-2024, while the average increase in the 1960s was 2.9 million people per year. Although the EU population briefly decreased in 2020 by around half a million people and in 2021 by almost 0.3 million due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it has begun to recover its growth as shown by the new figures.
The population of individual EU countries on January 1, 2024 ranged from 0.6 million in Malta to 83.4 million in Germany. Germany, France, and Italy together accounted for almost half (47%) of the total EU population on January 1, 2024.
While the total EU population increased in 2024, not all EU countries saw increases. In total, seven countries recorded a decrease in population between January 1, 2023, and January 1, 2024, with the largest decreases reported in Poland (-132,800 people), Greece (-16,800), and Hungary (-15,100). Increases were observed in the other twenty countries, with the largest increases in Spain (+525,100), Germany (+330,000), and France (+229,000).
This article marks World Population Day, which is celebrated annually on July 11 to raise awareness about the global population situation.
Source: MiMub in Spanish
