An IMGlobalWealth.com News Report
Europe is issuing passports at a record pace. Across the European Union, some 1.2 million people acquired citizenship in 2024, according to the latest data from Eurostat.
This represents an increase of roughly 12% on the previous year and more than half again as many as a decade ago. The overwhelming majority, around 88%, were not previously EU nationals, highlighting how migration and integration continue to reshape the bloc’s demographic profile.In absolute terms, the largest countries dominate.
“Europe is becoming more diverse not only in who lives within its borders, but also in who holds its passports”
Germany granted close to 300,000 citizenships, accounting for roughly a quarter of the EU total. Spain followed with around 250,000, while Italy issued just over 200,000.
Together, these three countries represent well over half of all new EU citizens. Their prominence reflects both scale and circumstance, including sizeable migrant populations and efforts to process accumulated applications.
A different picture emerges when citizenship grants are measured relative to the size of the non-national population. Sweden leads by a considerable margin, granting around 7.5 citizenships per 100 non-nationals. Italy and Spain follow at a distance, while countries such as Lithuania and Bulgaria rank among the lowest.
These differences point to varying national approaches. Some states offer clearer and more efficient pathways to citizenship, while others remain more restrictive or administratively slower.
The origins of new citizens are equally telling. Syrians form the largest group, with well over 100,000 acquiring EU nationality. This reflects the continued impact of refugee inflows over the past decade. Moroccans and Albanians follow, representing long-established communities whose presence has gradually translated into naturalisation.
“Syrians form the largest group, with well over 100,000 acquiring EU nationality”
Turkish nationals also feature prominently. Among EU citizens themselves, Romanians are the most likely to acquire a second EU nationality, often driven by mobility and economic considerations.
Several structural forces underpin these developments. Ageing populations and labour shortages in wealthier member states create incentives to integrate and retain migrant workers. At the same time, governments have increasingly moved to formalise the status of long-term residents, granting them full civic participation.
In countries such as Germany, policy adjustments have shortened residency requirements and eased access to dual citizenship, accelerating the pace of naturalisation.
Despite these trends, citizenship remains politically sensitive. Debates around identity, integration and social cohesion continue to intensify in parts of Europe, often amplified by the rise of more nationalistic political movements. Expanding citizenship rolls, although largely administrative in nature, intersect with broader concerns about belonging and the future shape of European societies.
The result is a two-speed dynamic. Larger economies dominate in volume, absorbing and naturalising migrants at scale. Smaller or more open systems lead in accessibility, offering more straightforward routes to citizenship.
Europe’s approach is therefore far from uniform, shaped instead by national priorities and political choices.
The direction, however, is clear. Europe is becoming more diverse not only in who lives within its borders, but also in who holds its passports. The question that follows is whether political consensus can evolve in step with this reality.
