1.1. Contact organisation
Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union
1.2. Contact organisation unit
E2: Environmental statistics and accounts; sustainable development
1.3. Contact name
Confidential because of GDPR
1.4. Contact person function
Confidential because of GDPR
1.5. Contact mail address
e-mail contact : ESTAT-SDG-MONITORING@ec.europa.eu
1.6. Contact email address
Confidential because of GDPR
1.7. Contact phone number
Confidential because of GDPR
1.8. Contact fax number
Confidential because of GDPR
2.1. Metadata last certified
26 May 2025
2.2. Metadata last posted
4 June 2024
2.3. Metadata last update
26 May 2025
The indicator is part of the EU Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) indicator set. It is used to monitor progress towards SDG 10 on reducing inequality within and among countries; which is embedded in the European Commission’s Priorities under 'Supporting people, strenghtening our societs and our social model'. . SDG 10 among other things, seeks to promote social inclusion globally through the facilitation of safe, orderly and regular migration and the reduction of transaction costs of migrant remittances.
The European Commission’s Knowledge Centre for Migration and Demography provides knowledge and evidence-based analysis for policy developments and decisions related to saving migrants’ lives and securing the external borders, strengthening the common asylum policy and developing a new policy on legal migration. The Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund provide financial support for these actions.
The Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD) supports asylum seekers by providing them with immediate relief (food, clothing and other essential items for personal use).
The proposed European Solidarity Corps will enable young people across the EU to volunteer their help for the reception and integration of refugees.
4.1. Data description
The indicator shows the number of first-time asylum applicants per million inhabitants and the number of positive first instance decisions per million inhabitants. Please note that caution is required when comparing these two values, since applications received in a given year might not be processed until a later year.
A first-time applicant for international protection is a person who lodged an application for asylum for the first time in a given Member State.
First instance decisions are decisions granted by the respective authority acting as a first instance of the administrative/judicial asylum procedure in the receiving country.
The average population of the reference year (calculated as the arithmetic mean of the population on 1st January of two consecutive years) is used as denominator (per million inhabitants).
4.2. Unit of measure
number per million inhabitants
4.3. Reference Period
Calendar year
4.4. Accuracy - overall
The indicator is produced according to the high-level quality standards of European Statistics. Details on accuracy can be found in the metadata of the source datasets (see link to related metadata).
4.5. Source data
4.5.1. Source data - Organisation
ESS
4.5.2. Source data - Comment
Data source: European Statistical System (ESS)
Data provider: Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union,based on data supplied by the national Ministries of Interior and related official agencies.
5.1. Frequency of dissemination
5.1.1. Frequency of dissemination - Grade
Every year5.1.2. Frequency of dissemination - Comment
Indicator is updated annually. Complete and updated ESS data release information can be accessed via Eurostat release calendar.
5.2. Timeliness
5.2.1. Timeliness - Grade
T+1 year5.2.2. Timeliness - Comment
New data points are disseminated within one year after the reference year.
6.1. Reference area
6.1.1. Reference Area - Grade
All EU MS6.1.2. Reference Area - Comment
Data are presented for all EU Member States plus Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Montenegro.
6.2. Comparability - geographical
6.2.1. Comparability - geographical - Grade
All EU MS6.2.2. Comparability - geographical - Comment
Data are comparable between all EU Member States respectively other presented countries.
However, there is a number of differences in concepts, definitions or data sources used in different countries which can make comparisons between countries difficult and occasionally misleading. Explanatory notes by countries and concepts can be found in the metadata of the source datasets.
6.3. Coverage - Time
6.3.1. Time Coverage - Grade
5 to 10 years6.3.2. Time Coverage - Comment
Presented time series are collected according to Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 from January 2008.
6.4. Comparability - over time
6.4.1. Comparability - over time - Grade
< 3 data points6.4.2. Comparability - over time - Comment
The comparability over time is affected by updates of requested statistics. Period January 2008 – December 2014: data by Regulation (EC) No 862/2007. Period January 2014 – December 2020: implementation of the new 2013 Asylum Guidelines. Period from January 2021: implementation of the new 2021 Asylum Guidelines.’
7.1. Dissemination format - Publications
Analysis of indicator is presented in Eurostat's annual monitoring report on Sustainable development in the EU (progress towards SDGs in the EU context).
7.2. Dissemination format - online database
see table sdg_10_60
7.3. Dissemination format - other
Eurostat dedicated section on SDGs.
Copyrights: Eurostat Copyright/Licence Policy is applicable.
