The population of Europe decreased by approximately 0.1 percent in 2024, falling to an overall total of approximately 745 million people. Since 1961, Europe's population growth rate has never exceeded one percent, and was even declining in the late 1990s and between 2020 and 2023.

The European countries which saw the greatest population growth in 2025 were Gibraltar, Kosovo and Iceland. Overall, Europe's population declined by 3.3 percent in 2025, with this varying by region from a 0.19 percent decline in northern Europe to 4.6 percent in southern Europe. All the countries which saw the largest declines in their population in 2025 were central and eastern European countries.

Graph and download economic data for Population Growth for the European Union (SPPOPGROWEUU) from 1961 to 2024 about EU, Europe, population, and rate.

The population of Europe was estimated to be 745 million in 2024, an increase of around 4 million when compared with 2012. Over 35 years between 1950 and 1985, the population of Europe grew by approximately 157.8 million. But 35 years after 1985 it was estimated to have only increased by around 38.7 million. Since the 1960s, population growth in Europe has fallen quite significantly and was even negative during the mid-1990s. While population growth has increased slightly since the low of -0.07 percent in 1998, the growth rate for 2020 was just 0.04 percent. Which European country has the biggest population? As of 2024, the population of Russia was estimated to be approximately 144.8 million and was by far Europe's largest country in terms of population, with Turkey being the second-largest at over 87 million. While these two countries both have territory in Europe, however, they are both only partially in Europe, with the majority of their landmasses being in Asia. In terms of countries wholly located on the European continent, Germany had the highest population at 84.5 million, and was followed by the United Kingdom and France at 69.1 million and 66.5 million respectively. Characteristics of Europe's population There are approximately 384.6 million females in Europe, compared with 359.5 million males, a difference of around 25 million. In 1950, however, the male population has grown faster than the female one, with the male population growing by 104.7 million, and the female one by 93.6 million. As of 2024, the single year of age with the highest population was 37, at 10.6 million, while in the same year there were estimated to be around 136 thousand people aged 100 or over.

Population growth (annual %) in European Union was reported at 0.16884 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. European Union - Population growth (annual %) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

The annual population growth in the European Union declined to 0.21 percent in 2023. Annual population growth refers to the change in the population over time, and is affected by factors such as fertility, mortality, and migration.

Graph and download economic data for Population Growth for Developing Countries in Europe and Central Asia (SPPOPGROWECA) from 1961 to 2024 about Central Asia, Europe, population, and rate.

Throughout the Common Era, Western Europe's population development fluctuated greatly. The population was very similar at the beginning and end of the first millennium, at around 25 million people. The largest decline in this period occurred in the sixth century, due to the Plague of Justinian, which the source claims to have killed around one third of the continent's population (although recent studies dispute this). Similarly, the population fell by almost 17 million throughout the 14th century, due to the Black Death.

Improvements in agriculture and infrastructure then saw population growth increase once more from the 15th century onwards, before the onset of the demographic transition saw a population boom throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.

Population Growth for Developing Countries in Europe and Central Asia was -0.67288 % Chg. at Annual Rate in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Population Growth for Developing Countries in Europe and Central Asia reached a record high of 1.77144 in January of 1960 and a record low of -0.67288 in January of 2023. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Population Growth for Developing Countries in Europe and Central Asia - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on June of 2025.

population growth rate for 2023 was 0.32%, a 0.66% increase from 2022.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li> population growth rate for 2022 was <strong>-0.34%</strong>, a <strong>0.43% decline</strong> from 2021.</li>
<li> population growth rate for 2021 was <strong>0.08%</strong>, a <strong>0.15% decline</strong> from 2020.</li>
<li> population growth rate for 2020 was <strong>0.24%</strong>, a <strong>0.09% decline</strong> from 2019.</li>
</ul>Annual population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage . Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.

Graph and download economic data for Population Growth for Central Europe and the Baltics (SPPOPGROWCEB) from 1961 to 2024 about Baltics, Central Europe, Europe, population, and rate.

Lithuania had the fastest-growing population in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), at an annual rate of 1.14 percent in 2022. Estonia ranked second, with the population growth of 1.03 percent year-on-year. In most CEE countries, the population marked a decrease from the previous year. Ukraine reported the most dramatic population decline, at nearly 14.2 percent.

Population Growth: All Income Levels for Europe and Central Asia was -0.04490 % Chg. at Annual Rate in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, Population Growth: All Income Levels for Europe and Central Asia reached a record high of 1.39388 in January of 1960 and a record low of -0.04490 in January of 2023. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Population Growth: All Income Levels for Europe and Central Asia - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on July of 2025.

Graph and download economic data for Population Growth: All Income Levels for Europe and Central Asia (SPPOPGROWECS) from 1961 to 2024 about Central Asia, Europe, income, population, and rate.

United States - Population Growth for Central Europe and the Baltics was -0.11321 % Chg. at Annual Rate in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Population Growth for Central Europe and the Baltics reached a record high of 1.65882 in January of 1960 and a record low of -1.37100 in January of 2021. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Population Growth for Central Europe and the Baltics - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on July of 2025.

The population of Europe is expected to fall from 740.6 million in 2023 to just 586.5 million people by 2100, in the medium-variant scenario provided in this projection. In the scenario where the population declines even further, the population of Europe may fall to as low as 401.2 million by 2100, while in the high-variant projection, the population will increase to approximately 830.6 million.

The world population surpassed eight billion people in 2022, having doubled from its figure less than 50 years previously. Looking forward, it is projected that the world population will reach nine billion in 2038, and 10 billion in 2060, but it will peak around 10.3 billion in the 2080s before it then goes into decline. Regional variations The global population has seen rapid growth since the early 1800s, due to advances in areas such as food production, healthcare, water safety, education, and infrastructure, however, these changes did not occur at a uniform time or pace across the world. Broadly speaking, the first regions to undergo their demographic transitions were Europe, North America, and Oceania, followed by Latin America and Asia (although Asia's development saw the greatest variation due to its size), while Africa was the last continent to undergo this transformation. Because of these differences, many so-called "advanced" countries are now experiencing population decline, particularly in Europe and East Asia, while the fastest population growth rates are found in Sub-Saharan Africa. In fact, the roughly two billion difference in population between now and the 2080s' peak will be found in Sub-Saharan Africa, which will rise from 1.2 billion to 3.2 billion in this time (although populations in other continents will also fluctuate). Changing projections The United Nations releases their World Population Prospects report every 1-2 years, and this is widely considered the foremost demographic dataset in the world. However, recent years have seen a notable decline in projections when the global population will peak, and at what number. Previous reports in the 2010s had suggested a peak of over 11 billion people, and that population growth would continue into the 2100s, however a sooner and shorter peak is now projected. Reasons for this include a more rapid population decline in East Asia and Europe, particularly China, as well as a prolongued development arc in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The statistic depicts France's real gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate from 2020 to 2024, with projections up until 2030. GDP refers to the total market value of all goods and services that are produced within a country per year. It is an important indicator of the economic strength of a country. Real GDP is adjusted for price changes and is therefore regarded as a key indicator for economic growth. In 2024, France's real GDP grew by about 1.07 percent compared to the previous year. Unemployment in France France has one of the largest economies in the world and is the second largest economy in the European Union, behind Germany, with whom France often partnered in order to support the structure of the European Union. France is also the fourth most populated country in Europe and has maintained slow population growth since the mid 2000s. Despite being not only a European but also a global economic power, France struggled with maintaining a low unemployment rate and experienced a significant increase in unemployment after the 2008 crash, just like many other prominent industrial countries. However, unlike these other nations, unemployment continued to rise well into the 2010s, while the employment situations in neighboring and international countries improved almost every year. The lack of working opportunities is related to the Eurozone crisis that primarily affected southern European countries, such as Spain, Portugal and Italy.

Globally, about 25 percent of the population is under 15 years of age and 10 percent is over 65 years of age. Africa has the youngest population worldwide. In Sub-Saharan Africa, more than 40 percent of the population is below 15 years, and only three percent are above 65, indicating the low life expectancy in several of the countries. In Europe, on the other hand, a higher share of the population is above 65 years than the population under 15 years. Fertility rates The high share of children and youth in Africa is connected to the high fertility rates on the continent. For instance, South Sudan and Niger have the highest population growth rates globally. However, about 50 percent of the world’s population live in countries with low fertility, where women have less than 2.1 children. Some countries in Europe, like Latvia and Lithuania, have experienced a population decline of one percent, and in the Cook Islands, it is even above two percent. In Europe, the majority of the population was previously working-aged adults with few dependents, but this trend is expected to reverse soon, and it is predicted that by 2050, the older population will outnumber the young in many developed countries. Growing global population As of 2025, there are 8.1 billion people living on the planet, and this is expected to reach more than nine billion before 2040. Moreover, the global population is expected to reach 10 billions around 2060, before slowing and then even falling slightly by 2100. As the population growth rates indicate, a significant share of the population increase will happen in Africa.

Key figures on the population of the Netherlands.

The following information is available: - Population by sex; - Population by marital status; - Population by age (groups); - Population by origin; - Private households; - Persons in institutional households; - Population growth; - Population density.

CBS is in transition towards a new classification of the population by origin. Greater emphasis is now placed on where a person was born, aside from where that person’s parents were born. The term ‘migration background’ is no longer used in this regard. The main categories western/non-western are being replaced by categories based on continents and a few countries that share a specific migration history with the Netherlands. The new classification is being implemented gradually in tables and publications on population by origin.

Data available from: 1950 Figures on population by origin are only available from 2022 at this moment. The periods 1996 through 2021 will be added to the table at a later time.

Status of the figures: All the figures are final.

Changes as of 17 July 2024: Final figures with regard to population growth for 2023 and final figures of the population on 1 January 2024 have been added.

Changes as of 26 April 2023: None, this is a new table. This table succeeds the table Population; key figures; 1950-2022. See section 3. The following changes have been implemented compared to the discontinued table: - The topic folder 'Population by migration background' has been replaced by 'Population by origin'; - The underlying topic folders regarding 'first and second generation migration background' have been replaced by 'Born in the Netherlands' and 'Born abroad'; - The origin countries Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Turkey have been assigned to the continent of Asia (previously Europe).

When will new figures be published? In the last quarter of 2025 final figures with regard to population growth for 2024 and final figures of the population on 1 January 2025 will be added.