These are the European countries that have grown the most in inhabitants in the last year: Spain leads the ranking

Eurostat emphasizes that due to the 2020 pandemic, between this year and the previous year there was a decrease in the population. Nevertheless, since 2022 it has grown. This data is also collected by the user Jordi Llàtzer in an X thread.

This is how the population has grown in Europe

As of January 1, 2024, the figure stands at 449.2 million of people compared to the 447.6 million registered by Eurostat on January 1, 2023. In the graphs you can see how the population has grown since 1960 – except for two specific decreases in 2012 and 2020 – until reaching the this year’s figure.

At the beginning of the 60s the population was above 354.5 million, an increase of 97.4 million in 64 years.

“The observed population growth can be largely attributed to the increase in migratory movements post-COVID-19 and the influx of displaced people from Ukraine who received temporary protected status in EU countries,” highlights the report of Eurostat.

The growth of countries

However, the statistical office of the European Union also specifies that “the pace has slowed down in recent decades”: from the 2.9 million average increase in the 1960s to an average growth of 0.6 in the period between 2015 and 2024.

Eurostat also offers data on the countries that have increased their population the most and the least in the last year. In the case of Spain it is in the lead.

These are the countries of the European Union that have gained the most population between January 1, 2023 and January 1, 2024. In this sense, it should be noted that the Eurostat report places Germany as the second country in which a population increase has been recorded. However, according to statistics, the difference between 2023 and 2024 with the available data the balance comes out negative (-913,845).

As for the cities, Eurostat also collects data from growth of cities. In an article published on March 18, 2024, the statistical office highlights that “in the last 5 years (from 2018 to 2023), the most significant population growth was observed in Madrid (+322,000), Barcelona (+282,000) and Berlin (+222,000)».

Demographic growth is combined with problems of access to housing due to lack of supply, which are also caused by other factors. Economic analyzes agree that in Spain there is a lack of affordable rental housing since there is excess demand, but there is a lack of real estate.

The Institute of Studies highlights that “the main reason why a country demands housing is to meet the needs of its population” since a “Greater demographic growth should be associated with greater demand for housing.” This thesis also coincides with the studies carried out by Caixabank Research, which indicate that “population growth has been one of the main factors that has driven housing demand in Spain in recent quarters and has played a fundamental role in supporting the price of housing.” housing in a context of tightening financing conditions.