The number of migrants living in the European Union reached a historic peak in 2025, totaling 64.2 million people.
This marks an increase of roughly 2.1 million compared with the previous year, according to a report by the Centre for Research and Analysis of Migration (CReAM) at the independent research institute RFBerlin.
The study, drawing on data from Eurostat and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), highlights the scale of long-term growth: in 2010, the corresponding figure stood at 40 million. The increase underscores the steady strengthening of migration flows into the EU over the past fifteen years.
Germany remains the primary destination for people born abroad, hosting 18 million foreign-born residents, 72% of whom are of working age. Meanwhile, Spain recorded the largest recent rise, with an additional 700,000 people bringing its migrant population to 9.5 million.
“Germany remains the main destination for migrants in Europe, both in absolute terms and—to a significant extent—relative to its population,” said Tommaso Frattini, one of the report’s authors.
Migration patterns vary significantly across the bloc. Luxembourg, Malta, and Cyprus have the highest shares of migrants relative to their population size.
Asylum applications are concentrated mainly in Spain, Italy, France, and Germany, which together receive nearly three-quarters of all claims. Germany also hosts the largest number of refugees overall, totaling 2.7 million people.
