Migrant integration statistics - active citizenship

Data from 18 November 2024.

Planned article update: November 2025.

Highlights

In 2022, almost 1 million people acquired citizenship of the EU country of their usual residence; it represents a 2.6% naturalisation rate for the non-nationals.

In 2022, the highest naturalisation rates for non-nationals having their usual residence in the EU were recorded for children aged 10–14 years: 5.3% for boys and 5.5% for girls.

At the end of 2023, 12.8 million non-EU citizens living in the EU held long-term residency permits representing more than 50% of all residency rights held by non-EU citizens.

Naturalisation rate by broad group of former citizenship, 2022
(%)
Source: Eurostat (migr_acq), (migr_pop1ctz) and (migr_acqs)

Active citizenship covers civic and political participation by migrants and the acquisition of equal rights and responsibilities by migrants. This article presents information for two key indicators. Both are indications of migrant integration and they form part of a set of Zaragoza indicators that were agreed by European Union (EU) countries in April 2010. More specifically, the article presents statistics on:

the naturalisation rate, calculated as the ratio of the total number of citizenships granted during the year over the stock of non-national population in a country at the beginning of the year;
the share of non-EU citizens having long-term residency status, calculated as the number of long-term (at least 5 years) residents who are non-EU citizens at the end of the year relative to the total number of non-EU citizens holding residency rights at the same time.

This article forms part of an online Eurostat publication – Migrant integration statistics - facts and figures.

Key findings

In 2022, almost 1 million people acquired citizenship of the EU country of their usual residence, of which non-EU citizens accounted for the overwhelming majority (87.3%).

In the EU, 2.6 usual residents per hundred resident non-nationals were granted citizenship. The naturalisation rate of people who were formerly non-EU citizens was 3.6%, which was more than four times higher than the 0.8% recorded for people who were formerly citizens of another EU country.

The highest naturalisation rates were recorded for people aged 10-14 years.

At the end of 2023, there were 12.8 million non-EU citizens that held long-term residency rights across the EU. It represented 51% of all residency rights held by non-EU citizens.

The highest numbers of non-EU citizens holding long-term residency rights in the EU were recorded among Moroccans and Turks (1.5 million each).

Naturalisation rate

Non-EU citizens recorded a naturalisation rate of 3.6%, higher than the 0.8% recorded by citizens of another EU country

The acquisition of citizenship represents the evidence of effective migrant integration and recognition in the hosting countries, offering them fully active citizenship rights. In 2022, around 1 million of non-nationals received the citizenship of an EU country out of 37.6 million total non-nationals residing in EU countries (Table 1). The ratio between these two categories, defined as the naturalisation rate, was 2.6% in 2022.

The category of all non-nationals who acquired the citizenship can be divided in two sub-categories depending on the prior citizenship: prior citizens of one of the EU countries and prior non-EU citizens.

Figure 1 shows that the naturalisation rate of former citizens of another EU country did not change between 2018 and 2022 and stood at 0.8% in both years. By contrast, the naturalisation rate of former non-EU citizens recorded larger fluctuations over the same period, increasing from 2.8% in 2018 to 3.6% in 2022.

Figure 1: Naturalisation rate of non-nationals by broad group of former citizenship, EU, 2018–2022
(%)
Source: Eurostat (migr_acq) and (migr_pop1ctz)

Among the EU countries, the highest naturalisation rate for all non-nationals in 2022 was observed in Sweden (10.5%), followed by the Netherlands (4.3%) and Italy (4.2%), while Latvia and Estonia (0.4% each) had the lowest rates (Table 1).

In absolute terms, most new citizenships in 2022 were granted by Italy (213 716, or 21.6% of the EU total), Spain (181 581, or 18.3%), Germany (166 640, or 16.8%), France (114 483, or 11.6%) and Sweden (92 225, or 9.3%).

Table 1: Acquisition of citizenship and naturalisation rate by broad group of former citizenship, 2022
Source: Eurostat (migr_acqs), (migr_acq) and (migr_pop1ctz)

Table 1 also provides a more detailed analysis for two subpopulations of non-nationals and reveals that Hungary and Latvia were the only EU countries in 2022 to record a higher naturalisation rate among people who were formerly citizens of another EU country than for people who were formerly non-EU citizens. By contrast, in 7 of the EU countries (the Netherlands, Portugal, Estonia, Spain, Austria, Malta and Belgium), the naturalisation rate of people who were formerly non-EU citizens was at least 5 times as high as the rate of former citizens of another EU country.
The highest naturalisation rates were generally recorded among young people

Figure 2 presents an analysis of the naturalisation rates of non-national citizens by age and sex. In 2022, the highest naturalisation rates in the EU were recorded for children aged 10–14 years, with a female naturalisation rate for this age group equal to 5.5%, while the male naturalisation rate slightly lower at 5.3%. The next highest rates were recorded in the following age groups:

15–19 years, with rates of 5.1% for females and 4.7% for males;
5–9 years, with rate of 4.4 % for both boys and girls.

While children tended to record the highest naturalisation rates, this does not necessarily mean that they accounted for the largest absolute number of people acquiring EU citizenship. A more detailed analysis of the absolute figures reveals that of the 989 940 non-nationals who acquired the citizenship of one of the EU countries in 2022, the largest group was composed of people aged 35–39 years (111 974), while the largest five-year age group relating to children, people aged 10–14 years, accounted for the fourth highest number of non-EU citizens acquiring the citizenship of an EU country (94 094).

Figure 2: Naturalisation rate of non-nationals by age and sex, EU, 2022
(%)
Source: Eurostat (migr_acq) and (migr_pop1ctz)

Long-term residence permits for non-EU citizens

The data presented in this part of the article refer solely to non-EU citizens (as opposed to non-nationals from another EU country). The focus is on non-EU citizens who received a long-term residence permit for a minimum period of at least five years validity, thereby providing them with a more robust level of stability as regards their status. Long-term residence permits valid at the end of the year

Figure 3 shows the share of non-EU citizens with long-term residence permits in the total number of non-EU citizens holding residence permits in the EU at the end of each year between 2018 and 2023. Over the whole period, the share of non-EU citizens with long-term residence permits was higher than 50%, although the trend followed a downward trajectory, with a maximum of 57.6% observed in 2018 and 2020 and a minimum of 50.7% in 2023.

Figure 3: Non-EU citizens with long-term residence permits, 2018–2023
(% of all non-EU citizens holding residence permits)
Source: Eurostat (migr_reslong), (migr_resvalid) and (migr_resshare)

At the end of 2023, more than 12 million non-EU citizens living in the EU held long-term residency permits representing 50.7% of all residency rights held by non-EU citizens.

Map 1 shows that there was a noticeable difference between EU countries concerning the share of non-EU citizens with long-term residence permits. Long-term residents accounted for more than 60% of the total number of non-EU citizens holding a residence permit in 5 EU countries, with this share reaching 74.8% in Estonia, 79.5% in Spain and 88.5% in Latvia. Most long-term residents in Latvia and Estonia were classified as ’recognised non-EU citizens’, a category that covers people who were neither citizens of the reporting country nor any other country, but who had established links to the country where they lived including some, but not all, of the rights and obligations of full citizenship. In Spain, the highest numbers of long-term residents were observed for citizens of Morocco (24.8% of all long-term residents living in Spain) and the citizens of the United Kingdom (13.3%).

By contrast, the share was particularly low in Ireland, where the smallest proportion (0.6%) of non-EU citizens had the benefits associated with long-term residency.

In absolute terms, most non-EU citizens holding long-term residency permits in 2023 were in Spain (3 039 552, or 23.8% of the EU total), Germany (2 590 043, or 20.3%), France (2 499 655, or 19.5%) and Italy (2 023 988, or 15.8%).

Map 1: Non-EU citizens with long-term residence permits, 2023
Source: Eurostat (migr_reslong), (migr_resvalid) and (migr_resshare)

Moroccans and Turks with the highest numbers of non-EU citizens holding long-term residency rights in the EU

Table 2 shows the 10 most common groups of non-EU citizens with long-term residency status in the EU at the end of 2023.

The highest number of non-EU citizens with long-term residency rights was recorded among citizens of Morocco, followed by citizens of Türkiye (1.5 million each), while there were over 600 000 citizens from China (including Hong Kong), Algeria and the United Kingdom and almost 600 000 Ukrainians with such rights. In 2023, the United Kingdom appeared in the top 10 for the third time, following its withdrawal from the EU.

Table 2 also provides additional information on which non-EU citizenships are most represented in each EU country. For example, at the end of 2023, more than 1 million Turks held long-term residency status in Germany and their share in all Turks having a resident permit in Germany accounted for 84.2%. The second numerous group of non-EU citizens with long-term residence permit were Moroccans living in Spain (753 497 people), while the third one were Algerians residing in France (547 041). In relative terms, the highest shares of long-term residents in the total number of non-EU citizens holding a residence permit were observed for British citizens residing in Spain (96.9%) and France (92.3%), and citizens of China living in Spain (90.6%).

Table 2: Top 10 countries whose citizens have long-term residence in the EU and destination countries, EU, 2023
Source: Eurostat (migr_resvalid), (migr_reslong) and (migr_resshare)

Long-term residence permits issued during the year

During 2023 there were 1 million new long-term residence permits issued in the EU countries. This represented 8.0% of the total number of non-EU citizens who had long-term residency status in the EU at the end of 2023.

Among the EU countries, Germany issued the highest number of long-term residence permits to non-EU citizens in 2023 (330 715), followed by Spain with 248 770 long-term residence permits issued, while three other countries – Austria, Italy and the Netherlands – issued at least 50 000 of such permits (Figure 4). By contrast, fewer than 1 000 long-term residence permits were issued to non-EU citizens in each of Lithuania, Croatia, Estonia, Ireland and Portugal.

Figure 4: Number of newly issued long-term residence permits, 2023

Source: Eurostat (migr_resltr)

Source data for tables, figures and maps

Migrant integration statistics – active citizenship: tables and figures

Data sources

The data presented in this article are from three datasets that are received on an annual basis by Eurostat from reporting countries, having been compiled from administrative records. Note that the indicators are based on different reference periods and that the reference population varies. For example, the naturalisation rate is based on all non-nationals (including citizens of another EU country), while the data for long-term residency rights refer only to non-EU citizens.

Acquisition of citizenship data for the naturalisation rate

Data on the acquisition of citizenship, available from 1998 onwards, are collected from EU countries, EFTA and candidate countries, and cover persons who were previously citizens of another country or who were stateless. From 2008 onwards, acquisition of citizenship data analysed by sex, age group and previous citizenship are collected under Article 3 of EU regulation 862/2007. Conditions for acquiring the citizenship of an EU country differ between countries, but often the requirements concern a period of (legally registered) residence combined with other factors such as evidence of social and economic integration, or an aptitude to speak the national language(s). The online metadata related to this data collection provides more information.

Naturalisation is one of the most common ways of acquiring citizenship. It is a formal act of granting citizenship to a non-national who applies to be a citizen. International law does not set out detailed rules on naturalisation but recognises the competence of every state to naturalise non-nationals.

The naturalisation rate is defined as the total number of non-national citizens resident in each EU country who acquired citizenship of that country during the calendar year, expressed as a ratio between the number of persons who acquired the citizenship of a country during a calendar year and the stock of non-national residents in the same country at the beginning of the year. Note this rate should be analysed with some caution, as its numerator includes all modes of acquisition (and not just the naturalisation of eligible residing non-nationals), while the denominator includes all resident non-nationals (and not just resident non-nationals who are eligible for naturalisation).

Share of long-term residence permits

Long-term residence status refers to permits issued under EU directive 2003/109 concerning the status of non-EU citizens who are long-term residents. The definition concerns non-EU citizens who legally reside in an EU country for a period of at least 5 years; this is often combined with a series of other conditions that must be met.

From the 2008 reference year, data on residence permits are collected under Article 6 of EU regulation 862/2007, which refers to statistics on residence permits for non-EU citizens. Data are available for the EU and EFTA countries. These data refer exclusively to non-EU citizens (rather than citizens of other EU countries) who were issued with a residence permit. The statistics relate to the stock (total number) of non-EU citizens in possession of a long-term residence permit. More information is presented in the online metadata for this data collection.

Long-term residence permits issued during the year

Data on the number of new residence permits that were issued to non-EU citizens during the course of a year (the flow of new permits) are collected on a voluntary basis within the context of Article 6 of EU regulation 862/2007. This dataset is designed to complement the data collected on the stock of non-EU citizens having long-term residence status at the end of the reference period. Note that the information presented relates only to non-EU citizens who received a new long-term residence permit; the statistics shown do not take account of non-EU citizens already in possession of a permit, nor of non-EU citizens whose permits were renewed.

Note for Ireland

The "u" flag in Irish residence permit data highlights limited data quality reported by the Irish authorities. For the process of generating resident permits data that involves both the Irish Police and the Department of Justice an old information system is currently being used. The current system's limitations, which misses unique identifier of persons, require manual data checks, which may lead to potential quality issues. According to Irish authorities a comprehensive modernization programme of the information systems to ensure more accurate data management is in progress.

Context

The EU is a relatively diverse area and several of its Member States have traditionally been a destination for migrants, whether from elsewhere within the EU or elsewhere in the world. The flow of migrants can lead to a range of new skills and talents being introduced into local labour markets and can increase cultural diversity, while also raising concerns about integration.

Immigrant integration policies are a national competence across the EU. However, since the signature of the Treaty of Lisbon in 2007, European institutions have the mandate to 'provide incentives and support for the action of Member States with a view to promoting the integration of third-country nationals'. In June 2016, the European Commission launched an action plan for the integration of non-EU citizens. Among other actions, the plan seeks to address active participation and social inclusion in order to promote intercultural dialogue, cultural diversity and social inclusion.

In November 2020, an action plan on integration and inclusion 2021–2027 (COM(2016) 377 final) was adopted. It seeks to detail targeted and tailored support to reflect the individual characteristics that may present specific challenges to people with a migrant background, such as gender or religious background.

Recent developments for the EU's overall immigration policy can be found in the new pact on migration and asylum adopted by the European Parliament in April 2024 and by the Council in May 2024. The aim is to provide tools for faster and more integrated procedures, a better management of the Schengen area and borders, as well as flexibility and crisis resilience. The new pact on migration and asylum sets out what is intended to be a fairer, more European approach to managing migration and asylum. It aims to put in place a comprehensive and sustainable policy, providing a humane and effective long-term response to the current challenges of irregular migration, developing legal migration pathways, better integrating refugees and other newcomers, and deepening migration partnerships with countries of origin and transit for mutual benefit.

This article presents EU statistics in the area of active citizenship, covering the acquisition and exercising of equal rights/responsibilities for migrants, which are recognised as positive indications of migrant integration. The information presented is based on: a set of Council conclusions from 2010 on migrant integration; a subsequent study Indicators of immigrant integration – a pilot study from 2011; a report Using EU indicators of immigrant integration from 2013; and more recent data collection exercises, focusing on the naturalisation rate and the share of non-EU citizens having long-term residency status. The first of these indicators allows an analysis of migrant integration and/or recognition of the magnitude of the role that migrants play in host economies, while the second may be used to analyse the share of the migrant population living with a more protected residence status, with similar socioeconomic rights and responsibilities to those enjoyed by citizens of the host country.

Notes

Explore further

Database

Demography, population stock and balance (demo), see:

Population (national level) (demo_pop)

Population on 1 January by age group, sex and citizenship (migr_pop1ctz)

International migration, citizenship (migr_cit), see:

Acquisition and loss of citizenship (migr_acqn)

Acquisition of citizenship by age group, sex and former citizenship (migr_acq)

Managed migration (migr_man), see:

Residence permits (migr_res)

Residence permits by reason, length of validity and citizenship (migr_resval)

All valid permits by reason, length of validity and citizenship on 31 December of each year [migr_resvalid]

Long-term residents by citizenship on 31 December of each year (migr_reslong)

Long-term residents among all non-EU citizens holding residence permits by citizenship on 31 December (%) (migr_resshare)

Long-term residence permits issued during the year (migr_resltr)

Migrant integration (mii), see:

Active citizenship (mii_actctz)

Residents who acquired citizenship as a share of resident non-citizens by former citizenship and sex (migr_acqs)