A new migration report has revealed that the number of foreign-born residents living in the European Union reached an all-time high of 64.2 million in 2025, marking an increase of about 2.1 million compared to the previous year.
The findings, published on Wednesday by a migration research and analysis centre in Berlin and based on Eurostat and UN Refugee Agency data, show a sharp rise from around 40 million recorded in 2010.
Germany continues to host the largest share of migrants in the EU, with nearly 18 million foreign-born residents, about 72 per cent of whom are of working age. Spain recorded the fastest recent increase, adding approximately 700,000 migrants to reach a total of 9.5 million.
One of the report’s authors, Tommaso Frattini, noted that Germany remains the primary destination for migrants in Europe, both in absolute numbers and relative to its population size.
The study also highlighted uneven migration distribution across the bloc, pointing out that smaller states such as Luxembourg, Malta, and Cyprus have some of the highest proportions of immigrants compared to their overall populations.
In terms of asylum applications, Spain, Italy, France, and Germany together accounted for nearly three-quarters of all claims recorded across the EU.
Germany also remains the leading host country for refugees, with about 2.7 million people currently under protection.