April 23, 2026 | 10:43 am
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The number of foreign-born people living in the EU reached a record high of 64.2 million in 2025, according to a report released Wednesday.
That figure compares with 40 million in 2010 and represents a growth of about 2.1 million from 2024, according to the report by the Centre for Research and Analysis on Migration at RFBerlin.
The report draws on Eurostat and UN Refugee Agency data for its conclusions.
Germany remains biggest host
Germany still has the largest immigrant population in the EU, with nearly 18 million foreign-born people residing in the country, up from 10 million in 2010 — an increase of around 70%.
The report stated that:
- Some 21.2% of Germany's population consists of immigrants, 72% of whom are of working age.
- The number of immigrants residing in Germany grew by about 300,000 between 2024 and 2025, a rise of 1.7%. That is half the EU average of 3.4%.
- Germany also hosts by far the largest number of refugees in absolute terms, with 2.7 million living in the country.
- Spain was the country with the fastest recent growth, with its foreign-born population growing by 700,000 in 2024 to reach 9.5 million. That is an 8% increase, more than double the EU average.
What else did the report show?
Although Germany leads the way in absolute immigration figures, several smaller countries have larger relative exposures.
- Luxembourg tops the list, with immigrants accounting for around 52% of its population, well above the EU average of around 14%.
- It is followed by Malta (32%) and Cyprus (28%).
- Ireland and Austria also record relatively high shares, at around 23%.
- Lithuania, Hungary and Romania all have shares below 10%, while Slovakia, Bulgaria and Poland show the lowest levels, each below 5%.
Asylum applications down by more than a quarter
In 2025, the total number of asylum applications in the EU amounted to 669,365, a decrease of 26.6% compared with 2024.
- Spain, Italy, France and Germany accounted for nearly three-quarters of those applications.
- Although Germany has by far the largest population of refugees, Cyprus is the country with the highest share of refugees relative to its population at 4.8%.
- That compares with 3.2% in Germany and 0.5% in Italy, the EU nation with the smallest relative share of refugees.
Read: Asylum Applications in Germany Down by Half in 2025
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