In the European Union now lives 512.6 million people, according to the European statistical agency Eurostat (data for January 1, 2018). And this is 1.1 million more than in early 2017. And this increase was ensured by migrants who moved to the EU countries.

Last year the population grew in 19 EU countries: first of all Malta, Luxembourg, Sweden, Ireland and Cyprus. And less inhabitants became in Lithuania, Croatia, Latvia, Bulgaria and Romania. Fertility has increased most significantly in Ireland (where almost 13 children per 1000 inhabitants were born in 2017), Sweden, the United Kingdom and France. But in the countries of Southern Europe, the birth rate was much lower: in Italy last year only 7.2 children per 1000 inhabitants appeared; only slightly higher figures for Greece, Portugal, Spain, Croatia and Bulgaria.