The population of the European Union consists of 450 million citizens.

Omissions

• Eurostat's 'population' figure counts all inhabitants residing in the EU, not only EU citizens; the number of EU citizens is slightly lower because it excludes third-country nationals legally residing in member states. The MEP's phrasing 'EU-Bürger' is a common colloquial approximation.
• The most recent figure available to the MEP at the session date (2026-07-08) was 450.4 million (1 January 2025, published 11 July 2025); the 452.0 million figure for 1 January 2026 was published by Eurostat around the session date and may not have been known to the speaker. Both figures round to '450 million', so the claim holds under either data point.

Sources

• PrimaryEurostat — EU population increases for the 4th consecutive year (Eurostat news)On 1 January 2025, the EU population was estimated at 450.4 million inhabitants, 1 070 702 more than the previous year.
• PrimaryEurostat — Population and population change statistics (Statistics Explained)The population of the EU increased again in 2025, although to a limited extent, from 451.3 million on 1 January 2025 to 452.0 million on 1 January 2026 (+0.2%).