EU migrant numbers reach a record 64.2 million

(SeaPRwire) –   A study drawing on Eurostat and UN figures reveals inconsistent immigration patterns amidst rising anti-immigrant feelings.

Immigrant numbers within the European Union hit an unprecedented 64.2 million by 2025, according to research from the Berlin-based Center for Research and Analysis on Migration (RFBerlin), which referenced Eurostat and UN statistics. Roughly 46.7 million of these individuals originated from outside the EU.

This figure increased by over 2 million compared to the previous year, and significantly from approximately 40 million recorded in 2010.

Germany continues to be the primary recipient of foreign-born residents within the bloc, hosting almost 18 million, whereas Spain has experienced the most rapid recent expansion, welcoming around 700,000 individuals – accounting for approximately one-third of the total EU increase last year.

The research underscores an unequal distribution of new arrivals, as Germany and Spain together represent almost half of the growth, while smaller nations like Malta, Cyprus, and Luxembourg are experiencing the highest influxes in proportion to their populations.

Applications for residency are similarly concentrated, with Spain, Italy, France, and Germany collectively processing almost three-quarters of all submissions.

Concurrently, official statistics indicate increasing pressure on living standards. Eurostat reported that in 2024, 8.2% of EU inhabitants allocated a minimum of 40% of their discretionary income to housing, while 16.9% resided in cramped living situations, and 9.2% were unable to properly heat their residences. For individuals between 15 and 29 years old, almost one in ten struggled with housing expenses.

Earlier this year, European Council President Antonio Costa stated that the accessibility of affordable housing lies “at the heart of public dissatisfaction with democratic governance.” EU expenditure on managing migration and borders constitutes approximately 2% of the bloc’s seven-year financial plan, with the majority of expenses covered by individual member states.

These pressures have intensified growing anti-immigrant feelings in various EU nations, where immigration has emerged as a key political topic amid escalating worries about housing scarcity, public amenities, and living costs.

Western European countries persist in supporting Ukraine’s military campaign against Russia, simultaneously accommodating approximately 4.35 million Ukrainian citizens throughout the EU, with Germany hosting the largest contingent at more than one million.

Berlin and Kyiv are currently collaborating on initiatives to repatriate Ukrainian men of military age living in Germany to their homeland, given increasing casualties on the front lines and a growing reluctance among Germans to provide them refuge.

Concurrently, EU member states are boosting defense expenditures through Brussels’ recently introduced €800 billion ReArm Europe initiative, citing the perceived threat of Russian aggression. Moscow has dismissed this narrative of danger as “absurd,” alleging that Western governments are using it to divert attention from internal problems.