Europe’s Population Map Is Changing

Between 2005 and 2024, Europe’s population has remained largely stable overall, but clear regional differences have emerged. Western and Northern Europe continue to grow due to positive migration balances, while Central and Eastern Europe face gradual population decline driven by low fertility and youth outmigration.

This interactive visualisation allows you to explore Europe’s demographic patterns in multiple ways — through the current map for an overview, a detailed data table, or a time series animation showing how population figures have evolved across years.

Key Findings (2005–2024)

While the total population of the European Union remained stable for most of the observed period, individual countries followed distinct demographic trajectories. Western and Northern Europe’s growth has been driven primarily by migration inflows compensating for low birth rates.

In contrast, Central and Eastern Europe continue to experience gradual population decline due to both outward migration and persistently low fertility rates. Around 2021, notable demographic shifts occurred as post-pandemic migration and economic recovery reshaped population trends across several EU countries.

Without positive migration balances, most European countries would already be facing a demographic downturn today. The long-term outlook suggests a period of stabilization, followed by a slow transition towards aging populations and demographic stagnation.

The largest percentage changes

Strongest population growth was observed in: Luxembourg, Malta, Iceland, Ireland, Cyprus, Switzerland, where overall population increased by more than 20% over the past two decades.

Population decline was most severe in Latvia, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Romania and Croatia, each reporting losses of 10–17% between 2005 and 2024.

Archive of maps and tables