Europe

Europe

Largest Countries:
Russia, Ukraine
Number of Countries:
53
Land Area:
23M km² (15.46%)

Europe is the second-smallest and third-most populous continent on Earth, and is located on the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia. Europe comprises 15.46% of the world's land area, along with 8.96% of the world's current population. It also has the sixth-highest ranked growth rate today. Europe has been in a decline for some time, and its population is aging rapidly in most countries. The estimated population for Europe is 743,197,243.

743,197,243
Total Population
32.28/km²
Density
8.96%
% of World Population
-2.3M -0.31%
Annual Growth

Europe Population by Country

< 1M
1M - 10M
10M - 50M
50M - 100M
100M - 300M
> 300M

50 countries

Country
Population
Density
Russia FlagRussia143,394,0008
Germany FlagGermany83,644,300234
United Kingdom FlagUnited Kingdom69,931,500288
France FlagFrance66,746,400121
Italy FlagItaly58,926,200196
Spain FlagSpain47,850,80095
Ukraine FlagUkraine39,535,80066
Poland FlagPoland37,843,200121
Romania FlagRomania18,800,60079
Netherlands FlagNetherlands18,448,800441
Belgium FlagBelgium11,774,600386
Sweden FlagSweden10,701,00024
Czechia FlagCzechia10,527,800133
Portugal FlagPortugal10,395,400113
Greece FlagGreece9,897,12075
Hungary FlagHungary9,585,820103
Austria FlagAustria9,107,270109
Switzerland FlagSwitzerland9,007,800218
Belarus FlagBelarus8,937,02043
Bulgaria FlagBulgaria6,667,66060
Serbia FlagSerbia6,641,96075
Denmark FlagDenmark6,023,520140
Norway FlagNorway5,652,99017
Finland FlagFinland5,621,74017
Slovakia FlagSlovakia5,451,340111
Ireland FlagIreland5,356,95076
Croatia FlagCroatia3,822,34068
Bosnia and Herzegovina FlagBosnia and Herzegovina3,114,24061
Moldova FlagMoldova2,961,25087
Lithuania FlagLithuania2,797,34043
Albania FlagAlbania2,751,02096
Slovenia FlagSlovenia2,114,570104
Latvia FlagLatvia1,835,94028
North Macedonia FlagNorth Macedonia1,804,06070
Cyprus FlagCyprus1,382,330149
Estonia FlagEstonia1,331,06029
Luxembourg FlagLuxembourg687,448266
Montenegro FlagMontenegro626,23345
Malta FlagMalta549,0111,737
Iceland FlagIceland402,3294
Jersey FlagJersey104,106897
Isle of Man FlagIsle of Man84,055147
Andorra FlagAndorra83,753179
Guernsey FlagGuernsey64,609828
Faroe Islands FlagFaroe Islands56,52641
Gibraltar FlagGibraltar40,8676,010
Liechtenstein FlagLiechtenstein40,368252
Monaco FlagMonaco38,08718,855
San Marino FlagSan Marino33,605551
Vatican City FlagVatican City5061,150

Europe Overview

Europe is a continent that comprises the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia. It’s usually divided from Asia by the watershed divides of the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, the Caucasus and Ural Mountains and waterways that connect the Black and Aegean Seas together. The continent’s estimated 2016 population is over 738 million.

Europe is the second-smallest continent by surface area and covers 10.18 million square kilometers (3.93 million square miles), or 2% of the Earth’s surface and 6.8% of the world’s land area. There are approximately 50 countries in Europe. The largest by size is Russia with 40% of the continent, and Vatican City is the smallest.

Europe is the third most populous continent behind Asia and Africa. Its population in 2016 is estimated at 738 million, which accounts for 11% of the world’s population. The continent is currently growing at a rate of 0.3%. Europe has been in a decline for some time and its population is aging rapidly in most countries.

Most Populous Countries in Europe

By far the most populous country in Europe is Russia, which is actually located in both Europe and Asia. Russia’s population of 143 million is almost equal to the combined populations of the 2nd and 3rd most populous countries on the continent.

Russia is a very interesting situation, as its population is very hard to determine with Russian and CIA estimates varying by 3 million. The country is also very representative of all of Europe with a rapidly declining population growth and an aging population.

Least Populous Countries in Europe

The least populous country in Europe is Vatican City with just over 800 residents. It’s also the smallest internationally recognized independent state in the world, both in area and population. Vatican City is a landlocked city-state with a territory consisting of a walled enclave within Rome, Italy. Vatican City is ruled by the Pope and it’s the sovereign territory of the Holy See.

Europe's Population Growth

Europe Population

It’s projected that Europe will lose 30 million people of working age by 2050, while the number of people in their 80s and 90s will rise dramatically. This New York Times article is an interesting read for learning more about Europe’s declining population and fertility rates. Most European countries are dealing with the effects of an aging population, including fertility rates below replacement level as fewer women have children in favor of a career. The population of the European Union (EU) is now expected to peak in 2040 with the sharpest population declines in Romania and Germany (-19%), Bulgaria (-27%), Latvia (-26%) and Lithuania (-20%).

Europe’s largest country, Russia, is expected to drop from today’s 143 million to just 107 million by 2050.

Is Europe a Continent?

Yes, Europe is a continent. Europe is the second-smallest continent by surface area but the third most populous after Asia and Africa. The population density of Europe as a whole is 143 people per square mile (compared to Asia’s 203/square mile), which makes it the second most densely populated continent.

Europe is leading the world in countries with declining population growth and an aging population, but this problem is one that affects most developed countries at some point.

Regions of Europe

Eastern Europe

Some of the countries in this region include:

This area has a population size of 285.1M and covers about 18.8M square miles.

Northern Europe

Some of the countries in this region include:

This area has a population size of 110M and covers about 1.8M square miles.

Southern Europe

Some of the countries in this region include:

This area has a population size of 148.7M and covers about 1.3M square miles.

Western Europe

Some of the countries in this region include:

This area has a population size of 199.5M and covers about 1.1M square miles.

Sources

  1. World Population Prospects (2024 Revision) - United Nations population estimates and projections.

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