In total, 5.4 million were born in 2008 new European citizens, and 4.83 million people died, which places the rate of natural increase (births minus deaths) to 0.58 million people, an increase of 0, 6% compared to 2007.

In total, Europe has 499.8 million inhabitants right now, an increase of 2.1 million compared to 2007. This is revealed by the data published by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European communities, 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.

Immigration is the big driver of growth in the European population: it is estimated that 1.5 million immigrants settled in Europe during 2008. In absolute terms, Italy and Spain are the countries that most immigrants have received: 438,000 and 414,000, respetively.

In the euro zone countries, the population reached 328.7 million people in January compared with 327.1 million a year earlier, due to a natural increase of 0.4 million people, and a net immigration of 1.2 million people.

Increases in birth rates

Between 2007 and 2008, all EU countries reported increases in the number of births, except Germany, with a crude birth rate down from 8.3 people per thousand population to 8.2.

Germany is the only country in Europe where the crude birth rate fell in 2008. 8.3 births per thousand inhabitants was 8.2. On the other side of the balance is Lithuania, which rose from 9.6 to 10.4 births, Ireland (from 16.2 to 16.9), Cyprus (from 10.9 to 11.6) and Poland (10 , 2 to 10.9). Ireland is also the EU country with a higher birth rate, followed far behind by France, with 13 births per thousand inhabitants.

Spain also saw the birth rate increased from 11 per thousand births rose to 11.4 in 2008. However, it also increased its rate of mortality was 8.5 people per thousand inhabitants, compared to 8.3 in 2007. Nevertheless, this is below the EU average, with 9.7 deaths per thousand inhabitants.This positive natural grownth, along with immigration, boostered the rate of population in Spain to 45.8 million.

Mortality rates are highest in Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania and Hungary, with rates of between 14.5 and 13 per thousand. Nevertheless, these two Baltic countries are among those that have seen their death rate.