Population grid data from the 2021 EU population and housing census are released. Of the 4.4 million 1 km2 cells covering the territory of the EU, 1.8 million cells were populated, while 2.6 million cells were uninhabited. Spain and Sweden had the highest number of uninhabited cells (426 thousand and 362 thousand, respectively). The total EU population measured on the 1 km2 population grid in the census reference year 2021 was 443.2 million residents.  

This information comes from population grids based on the 2021 population and housing census published by Eurostat today. This article presents a handful of findings from the more detailed Statistics Explained article. 

Population of EU countries on census reference dates in 2021

Based on available preliminary results, the five most populous countries of the EU in 2021 were Germany (83.2 million people), France (67.9 million), Italy (59.0 million), Spain (47.4 million) and Poland (37.0 million). Among the mid-sized countries in terms of population, Sweden (10.5 million) overtook Portugal (10.3 million). 

Malta (0.5 million), Luxembourg (0.6 million) and Cyprus (0.9 million) remained the smallest EU countries, with less than one million population.
 

Source dataset: cens_21agr3

Across the EU NUTS 3 regions, the largest number of residents was recorded in the region of Madrid (6.7 million people), followed by the region of Barcelona (5.7 million) and the region of Rome (4.2 million). Meanwhile, the smallest number of residents was recorded in the Spanish region of El Hierro (11 290), followed by the Greek region of Evrytania (17 428) and the Austrian region of Lungau (20 164). 

Increases and decreases in population compared with 2011

Compared with the 2011 population and housing census, the 2021 preliminary results show population growth in 16 EU countries, among which the largest changes were in Luxembourg (+26%), Malta (+24%) and Sweden (+10%). At the same time, the population decreased in nine EU countries, with the largest drops being recorded in Bulgaria (-11%), Croatia (-10%), Latvia (-9%) and Lithuania (-8%). 

 Source datasets: cens_11ag_r3 and cens_21agr3

Compared with the 2011 population and housing census, data at NUTS 3 level broadly show increases in population in the west and the north of the EU and decreases in the east and the south. The largest increases in population were recorded in the Romanian region of Ilfov (+40%), the German region of Wartburgkreis (+27%), Luxembourg (+26%), the Maltese region of Gozo and Comino and the French region of Guyane (each 25%), and Malta (+24%). 

Meanwhile, the largest regional decreases in population compared with 2011 were experienced in Bulgarian and Croatian regions (18 regions recording between a -17% and -25% decrease in population).