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Immigration to the European Union has reached historically high levels. The number of foreign-born residents increased to 64.2 million in 2025, an increase of about 2.1 million compared to the previous year, according to a new report by the Centre for Research and Analysis on Migration at RFBerlin (CReAM@RFBerlin). In 2010, it stood only at 40 million.
Drawing on data from Eurostat and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the report highlights pronounced asymmetries across the EU. Germany remains the largest destination country, with nearly 18 million foreign-born residents, of whom 72% are of working age, while Spain recorded the fastest recent growth, with an increase of about 700,000 foreign-born residents, bringing its total to 9.5 million. At the same time, smaller countries such as Luxembourg, Malta, and Cyprus face much higher migration levels relative to their population size.
“Germany remains the main destination for migrants in Europe, both in absolute terms and, to a significant extent, relative to its population,” says Tommaso Frattini, Director of CReAM@RFBerlin and Professor of Economics at the University of Milan. “But the broader picture is more uneven: migration is concentrated in a small number of countries, while relative exposure varies widely across the EU.”
Asylum applications are similarly concentrated. Spain (141,000), Italy (127,000), France (116,000) and Germany (113,000) account for nearly three-quarters of all applications, although the composition of origin countries differs markedly, reflecting distinct migration routes. A comparable pattern emerges for refugees: while Germany hosts the largest number overall (2.7 million), smaller countries often bear a greater burden relative to their population.
“A key takeaway is the unequal composition of asylum applicants’ origins across Europe,” notes Christian Dustmann, Director of RFBerlin. “Germany receives primarily conflict-driven applicants, for example from Syria and Afghanistan, while Spain draws heavily from Latin America, and Italy and France exhibit more diverse source-country patterns.”
All stock figures in the study refer to 2025, whereas immigrant inflows refer to 2024. Eurostat data on migrant stock and flows do not include Portugal, for which data are not yet available. Figures for the UK are no longer listed by Eurostat due to Brexit.
Prof. Tommaso Frattini, 0039 02 503 21535; tf@rfberlin.com
Prof. Christian Dustmann, 0044 78 18 04 83 80; cd@rfberlin.com
“The Immigrant Population in the European Union: Growth, Concentration and Dispersion” by Tommaso Frattini and Camilla Piovesan, CReAM Report 3/2026; https://www.rfberlin.com/cream-reports/
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