Russian migration to the EU increases by 105,000 since 2022

The number of Russian citizens with valid residency status in the European Union has increased by 105,000 since the start of the invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. According to Eurostat data, the total reached 876,600 by the end of 2025, representing a 13.6 percent increase compared to the 771,800 Russian residents recorded in 2021.

Germany hosts the largest community with 218,000 residents, followed by Spain with 116,800 and Estonia with 78,400. Significant growth was also noted in Southern Europe, with Spain issuing 44,400 new residence permits and France issuing 13,700. In Cyprus and Portugal, the number of residents born in Russia increased by 2.5 and 3.5 times, respectively.

Conversely, some nations such as Latvia, Estonia, and the Czech Republic have seen declines in Russian residents due to stricter migration rules and security concerns regarding large Russian-speaking populations in the Baltic states. Outside the EU, significant numbers of Russians have migrated to Serbia, Kazakhstan, Armenia, and Georgia.