MOSCOW, April 23 2026– The number of migrants living in the European Union (EU) has reached a record 64 million in 2025, according to a report by the Rockwool Foundation published on Wednesday, reported Sputnik/RIA Novosti.
“The EU is home to a record number of foreign-born residents, reaching approximately 64 million in 2025,” the report read.
The foundation defines migrants as individuals living in a country different from their country of birth.
The number of migrants in the EU has increased by 60 per cent over the past 15 years, rising from 40 million in 2010, according to the report.
Between 2024 and 2025 alone, the figure grew by about 2.1 million.
A sharp increase was first observed during the European migrant crisis, when more than 1.25 million people applied for asylum in the EU, which is roughly double the number recorded the previous year, the foundation said.
Germany remains the primary destination, with migrant numbers rising from around 10 million in 2010 to nearly 18 million in 2025.
France and Spain have also seen steady growth, reaching about 9.6 million and 9.5 million migrants, respectively.
In Italy, the increase was more moderate, from about 4.6 million in 2010 to roughly 6.9 million in 2025.
Smaller EU states such as Luxembourg, Malta and Cyprus have recorded the highest shares of migrants relative to their populations, the research showed.
Luxembourg stands out, with migrants accounting for around 52 per cent of its population, followed by Malta (32 per cent) and Cyprus (28 per cent).
Ireland and Austria also report relatively high shares at about 23 per cent.
In terms of refugees, Germany hosts the largest number at about 2.7 million, more than double that of Poland, which ranks second with around 1 million, Rockwool Foundation said.
France follows with roughly 751,000 refugees, while Spain and the Czech Republic host about 471,000 and 381,000 respectively.
Cyprus has one of the highest refugee shares relative to the population at 4.8 per cent, followed by the Czech Republic (3.5 per cent) and Germany (3.2 per cent).
— BERNAMA
