Data / Rankings / Natural change rate / EU countries

EU countries by natural change rate

Ireland had the highest natural change rate of 27 EU countries in 2017, at 6.5 per 1,000 inhabitants. Bulgaria had the lowest, at -6.7 per 1,000 inhabitants. The median was -0.1 per 1,000 inhabitants and the figure for the European Union (27) was -0.7 per 1,000 inhabitants. Source: Eurostat, European Commission.

Highest6.5Ireland
Lowest-6.7Bulgaria
Median-0.127 EU countries
European Union (27)-0.7History

All EU countries, 2017

Ireland: 6.5 per 1,000 inhabitantsIreland6.5Cyprus: 3.7 per 1,000 inhabitantsCyprus3.7Luxembourg: 3.2 per 1,000 inhabitantsLuxembourg3.2France: 2.4 per 1,000 inhabitantsFrance2.4Sweden: 2.3 per 1,000 inhabitantsSweden2.3Malta: 1.6 per 1,000 inhabitantsMalta1.6Denmark: 1.4 per 1,000 inhabitantsDenmark1.4Netherlands: 1.1 per 1,000 inhabitantsNetherlands1.1Belgium: 0.9 per 1,000 inhabitantsBelgium0.9Slovakia: 0.7 per 1,000 inhabitantsSlovakia0.7Austria: 0.5 per 1,000 inhabitantsAustria0.5Czechia: 0.3 per 1,000 inhabitantsCzechia0.3Poland: 0 per 1,000 inhabitantsPoland0Slovenia: -0.1 per 1,000 inhabitantsSlovenia-0.1Finland: -0.6 per 1,000 inhabitantsFinland-0.6Spain: -0.7 per 1,000 inhabitantsSpain-0.7Estonia: -1.3 per 1,000 inhabitantsEstonia-1.3Germany: -1.8 per 1,000 inhabitantsGermany-1.8Portugal: -2.3 per 1,000 inhabitantsPortugal-2.3Romania: -2.6 per 1,000 inhabitantsRomania-2.6Italy: -3.2 per 1,000 inhabitantsItaly-3.2Greece: -3.4 per 1,000 inhabitantsGreece-3.4Hungary: -3.8 per 1,000 inhabitantsHungary-3.8Latvia: -4.1 per 1,000 inhabitantsLatvia-4.1Croatia: -4.2 per 1,000 inhabitantsCroatia-4.2Lithuania: -4.3 per 1,000 inhabitantsLithuania-4.3Bulgaria: -6.7 per 1,000 inhabitantsBulgaria-6.7
per 1,000 inhabitants. Source: Eurostat, Population change, crude rate of natural change of population (demo_gind). Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankEU countries2017
per 1,000 inhabitants		Change on 2016
1Ireland6.5-0.5 pts
2Cyprus3.7-0.9 pts
3Luxembourg Series break3.2-0.4 pts
4France2.4-0.5 pts
5Sweden2.3-0.4 pts
6Malta1.6-0.9 pts
7Denmark1.4-0.1 pts
8Netherlands1.1-0.3 pts
9Belgium0.9-0.3 pts
10Slovakia0.7-0.3 pts
11Austria0.5-0.3 pts
12Czechia0.3-0.2 pts
13Poland Estimated0+0.2 pts
14Slovenia-0.1-0.4 pts
15Finland-0.6-0.4 pts
16Spain-0.7-0.7 pts
17Estonia-1.3-0.3 pts
18Germany-1.8-0.4 pts
19Portugal-2.30 pts
20Romania-2.6+0.1 pts
21Italy-3.2-0.8 pts
22Greece-3.4-1 pts
23Hungary-3.8-0.5 pts
24Latvia-4.1-0.7 pts
25Croatia-4.2-0.8 pts
26Lithuania-4.3-0.3 pts
27Bulgaria-6.7-0.5 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Live births minus deaths during the year per 1,000 average residents (Eurostat crude rate of natural change).

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the EU countries are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

Eurostat. Population change, crude rate of natural change of population (demo_gind). https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/demo_gind/default/table. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

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Questions

Which EU country has the highest natural change rate?

Ireland, with 6.5 per 1,000 inhabitants in 2017, according to Eurostat, European Commission.

Which EU country has the lowest natural change rate?

Bulgaria, with -6.7 per 1,000 inhabitants in 2017.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: Eurostat, European Commission, Population change, crude rate of natural change of population (demo_gind). Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Natural change rate: other rankings

EU countries: more rankings