Spain Remains Fourth Largest EU Member by Population in 2026

Eurostat data for 1 January 2026 show Spain’s population at 49.6 million, keeping the country in fourth place among European Union members. Spain added more than 460 000 residents in the past year – a gain of almost one percentage point – and accounted for roughly 65 % of the EU’s total increase of 705 756 people, raising the bloc’s population to about 452 million.

The growth follows five consecutive years of EU population rise after a decline in 2021. Eurostat attributes the increase mainly to net positive migration, which has offset a natural decline (more deaths than births) that has persisted since 2012. By contrast, Germany’s population fell by 110 000, while Italy remained roughly stable and France grew modestly by 0.3 %.