Nearly 1.2 million people were granted citizenship in European Union countries in 2024, marking a substantial rise in the number of individuals seeking formal belonging within the bloc. According to data from Eurostat, the EU statistical office, this represents a 55 per cent increase compared to 2014, when 762,100 people acquired citizenship.
The surge is not merely a long-term trend but an accelerating one. Even when compared to the previous year, 2024 saw a 12 per cent increase in naturalisations. Although the numbers have grown gradually over the last nearly two decades, the pace has intensified since 2021, driven by a combination of geopolitical shifts, legislative reforms, and the delayed effects of major migration waves.
The vast majority of these new citizens—approximately 88 per cent—came from outside the European Union. The primary drivers of this trend are demographic shifts, such as the eligibility of refugees who arrived years ago, and strategic moves by individuals seeking to reclaim rights lost through political upheavals like Brexit.
The Geopolitics of Naturalisation
The distribution of new citizenships is heavily concentrated in Europe’s largest economies. Germany led the bloc in 2024, granting 288,700 citizenships, followed closely by Spain with 252,500 and Italy with 217,400. France and Sweden also saw significant numbers, granting 103,700 and 63,000 respectively.
A primary driver for these figures is the timeline of the 2015 refugee crisis. Many Syrian nationals who sought asylum nearly a decade ago have now met the residency and language requirements necessary for naturalisation. In 2024, Syrian nationals represented 29 per cent of naturalisations in Germany, 20 per cent in Austria, and 16 per cent in Sweden.
the largest groups of new EU citizens in 2024 were from Syria (110,100), Morocco (97,100), and Albania (48,000), with Turkey (41,300) and Romania (39,900) following.
Repairing the Brexit Breach
While the initial shock of the United Kingdom’s departure from the EU created a peak of 30,000 naturalisations in 2019, the “Brexit effect” continues to influence data. More than 10,000 British nationals acquired European citizenship in 2024, a figure that remains substantially higher than pre-2016 levels.
“Once UK citizens stopped being European Union citizens, many tried to repair their loss of rights by acquiring the citizenship of an EU member state (mainly Irish citizenship through descent),” says Maarten Vink, Co-director of the Global Citizenship Observatory at the European University Institute in Florence.
For these individuals, the primary motivation is the restoration of EU citizenship benefits, such as freedom of movement and the right to work across the bloc. This trend is particularly visible in Denmark and Cyprus, where Britons were the largest group of non-EU nationals to acquire citizenship in 2024. They also ranked among the top five groups in Ireland, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Slovakia, and Switzerland.
Modernising the Path to Belonging
Legislative changes are also playing a critical role in accelerating the rate at which people are acquiring citizenship in European countries. Germany provides the most prominent example with its 2024 citizenship “modernisation” law.
The new law reduced the residency requirement for naturalisation from eight years to five and, crucially, permitted dual citizenship for non-EU nationals—a right previously reserved for EU citizens. This policy shift had an immediate impact on specific communities; for instance, the number of Turkish nationals naturalising in Germany more than doubled from 10,735 in 2023 to 22,520 in 2024.
| Country | Citizenships Granted |
|---|---|
| Germany | 288,700 |
| Spain | 252,500 |
| Italy | 217,400 |
| France | 103,700 |
| Sweden | 63,000 |
A Continent Divided by Policy
The data reveals a sharp contrast in how different member states approach naturalisation. Sweden has maintained one of the highest naturalisation rates—the number of people acquiring citizenship relative to the number of foreign residents—though Professor Vink cautions that these figures include all modes of acquisition, not just standard naturalisation.
In contrast, countries like Bulgaria, Austria, and the Baltic states maintain more restrictive pathways, resulting in significantly lower rates. Even in restrictive environments, some growth is evident; Austria granted 13,000 naturalisations in 2024, up from 7,600 ten years prior.
Recent year-on-year changes show a fragmented landscape. Denmark saw a relative increase of 86 per cent (6,300 citizens granted), and Slovakia saw a 59 per cent jump. Conversely, Romania experienced a sharp decline, with a 68 per cent drop in naturalisations compared to the previous year.
Outside the EU, Norway and Switzerland also saw a decline in 2024 compared to 2023, but their totals remain higher than they were in 2014. Norway granted 27,500 citizenships and Switzerland granted 39,900.
Note: This article provides information on citizenship trends and legal requirements for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
As European governments continue to balance demographic needs with political pressures regarding migration, the next major benchmark will be the 2025 Eurostat report, which will reveal if Germany’s modernisation law continues to drive high naturalisation rates or if restrictive policies in other member states begin to tighten further.
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