According to data provided by the statistical office of the European Union (Eurostat), the population of the European Union amounted to 501 million on 1 January 2010. This data show that an important part of this increase comes from net migration rate which was of 0.9 million people, as well as natural increase of 0.5 million. 

On 1 January 2010, the population of the EU was estimated at 501.1 million, compared with 499.7 million on 1 January 2009. In that way, the population grew by 1.4 million in 2009, an annual rate of 2.7 per 1000 inhabitants, due to a natural increase and net migration, which confirms a trend change with respect to the negative data of the beginning of the decade, and questiones that growth was due only to immigration, as stated in the report about population projections 2008-2060 issued by Eurostat.

The demographic situation in 2009 in the EU is characterised by a slight decrease in the crude birth rate and a constant crude death rate, while net migration fell more significantly. According to Eurostat data released on 27 July, about 5 million children were born in the 27 member sates in 2009.

Highest birth rates were registered in Ireland, United Kingdom and France, and the lowest ones were rated in Germany and Austria, according Eurostat. Furthermore, the highest natural growth (births minus deaths) of the population was registered in Ireland, well ahead of Cyprus, France, Luxembourg and the United Kingdom. Ten Member States had a negative natural growth, with the largest declines in Bulgaria and Latvia, Hungary and Germany.

In 2009, just over 60% of the increase in the EU population came from migration. In relative terms, Luxembourg, Sweden, Slovenia, Italy and Belgium had the largest net inflows, while Ireland and Lithuania recorded the highest net outflows.

In conclusion, the population increased in nineteen Member States and decreased in eight, with considerable variations between Member States. The largest relative increases were observed in Luxembourg, Sweden, Slovenia, Belgium and the United Kingdom, and the largest decreases in Lithuania, Latvia, Bulgaria and Germany.