Immigrants represent less than 10% of the EU's total population.

Omissions

• The MEP did not specify which definition of 'immigrant' was being used. Under the 'born outside the EU' definition, the most recent figure (1 January 2025) is 10.4%, which slightly exceeds the claimed threshold.
• Under the narrower 'non-EU citizens' definition, the figure is 6.8%, which is well below 10%.
• The claim does not specify a reference year. The 1 January 2024 data (9.9%) supports the claim, while the more recent 1 January 2025 data (10.4%) slightly contradicts it.
• The trend is upward: the share rose from 9.9% in 2024 to 10.4% in 2025, suggesting the figure has now crossed the 10% threshold.

Sources

• PrimaryEurostat – Statistics Explained: EU population diversity by citizenship and country of birthOn 1 January 2025, an estimated 46.7 million people born outside the EU were residing in an EU country, accounting for 10.4% of the EU population. 30.6 million people (6.8%) of the 450.6 million people living in the EU on 1 January 2025 were non-EU citizens.
• SecondaryDW (Deutsche Welle)The foreign-born population of the EU grew to around 64 million in 2025. Germany remains the biggest host of immigrants in absolute terms.