In 2024, around 1.2 million people acquired the citizenship of a European Union country where they resided, marking an increase of 11.6% (+122,700 persons) compared to 2023.
According to data published by Eurostat, the number of citizenships granted has also risen significantly compared to 2014, with an increase of 54.5%, when a total of 762,100 citizenships were granted.
The majority of these citizenships were granted by three main countries:
- Germany: 288,700 citizenships (24.5% of the EU total)
- Spain: 252,500 (21.4%)
- Italy: 217,400 (18.5%)
In terms of origin, the vast majority of recipients (88.0%) were citizens of non-EU countries, while 10.6% were citizens of other EU member states.
Syrians, Moroccans and Albanians top the list
In 2024, Syrians remained the largest group acquiring EU citizenship, with 110,100 new citizenships granted.
They were followed by Moroccan citizens with 97,100, while Albanians ranked third with 48,000 citizenships acquired.
Sweden records the highest naturalisation rate
The naturalisation rate, which measures the number of people acquiring citizenship during a year relative to the total number of non-citizen residents at the beginning of the year, was highest in Sweden.
In 2024:
- Sweden ranked first with 7.5 citizenships per 100 non-citizen residents
- Italy ranked second with 4.1
- Spain and the Netherlands shared third place with 3.9 each
At the other end of the ranking, the lowest naturalisation rates were recorded in:
- Lithuania: 0.1
- Bulgaria and Estonia: 0.3 each
These data are part of Eurostat’s latest report on citizenship acquisition in European Union countries, providing a more detailed overview of migration and integration trends in the region.
