The number of foreign-born people living in the European Union (EU) reached a record high of 64.2 million in 2025, according to a report released Wednesday.
The figure represents a growth of about 2.1 million from 2024 and compares with 40 million in 2010, said the Centre for Research and Analysis on Migration at RFBerlin, which drew on Eurostat and UN Refugee Agency data for its conclusions.
Germany remains the biggest host country, 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%, which is half the EU average.
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 – an 8% increase, more than double the EU average.
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%).
In 2025, the total number of asylum applications in the EU amounted to 669,365, a decrease of 26.6% compared with 2024.
Cyprus has the highest share of refugees relative to its population at 4.8%, compared with 3.2% in Germany and 0.5% in Italy, the EU nation with the smallest relative share of refugees.