European Nations Offering Most Citizenships to Non-Natives
**EU Citizenship Grants in 2023: Key Trends and Changes**
In 2023, EU countries granted citizenship to over 1.05 million foreign residents, marking an increase of over 6 percent compared to the previous year. This surge in citizenship grants reflects ongoing migration patterns established in prior years, with some notable trends in top granting countries and the origins of new citizens.
The vast majority (87.6%) of people granted an EU citizenship in 2023 were from non-EU countries. Morocco, Albania, Syria, Turkey, and the United Kingdom continued to be key origin countries, although precise 2023 naturalization data by origin are not yet available.
Southern and Western European countries, such as Spain, Italy, France, and Germany, were the primary granting states. Moroccans acquired citizenship mainly in Spain, Italy, or France, while Albanians mostly obtained Italian citizenship. Nearly half of the Britons naturalized in Germany, and Syrians primarily in Sweden. Turks mostly acquired German citizenship.
The UK's EU Settlement Scheme, introduced post-Brexit, has significantly influenced migration and citizenship dynamics between the UK and EU nationals. Although the UK is no longer part of the EU, many EU nationals applied for settled status, with Romanians and Poles being the largest groups among nearly 7.9 million applications as of early 2025.
Germany continues to have the largest foreign-born population in the EU, with over 16.4 million foreign-born residents, followed by France (~8.9 million) and Spain (~8 million). This suggests ongoing immigration and naturalization pressures in these countries.
Notable differences in 2023 compared to previous years include the persistence of major origin groups like Moroccans, Albanians, Syrians, and Turks as top sources of citizenship acquisitions. The UK's post-Brexit status scheme shows significant EU-origin populations regularizing status, reflecting a shift from EU citizenship acquisition within the UK to managed settlement schemes.
Changes in asylum granting and protection status in the EU might have influenced citizenship applications over recent years, with Syrians, Afghans, and Venezuelans notable among protection beneficiaries in late 2024.
Sweden recorded the biggest decrease in the number of naturalisations compared to 2022, with a decrease of 24,400. Conversely, Spain had the largest increase in the number of naturalisations, with an increase of 58,600. Germany had an increase of 33,200, and Belgium had an increase of 6,700.
Interestingly, Germany had the highest share of citizenship acquisitions by men (54.7%), while for the EU as a whole, the gender distribution was almost equal. Women outnumbered men for acquisition of citizenship in all but 7 EU countries, with the highest proportion in Croatia (62.2%).
Switzerland granted Swiss citizenship to 41,200 foreigners in 2023, similar to the number in 2022. Portugal had a smaller decrease, with a decrease of 3,800. Norway granted citizenship to 37,300 foreign citizens in 2023, slightly fewer than in 2022 (39,400).
In terms of the number of citizenships granted, Spain topped the list (240,200), followed by Italy (213,600), Germany (199,800), and France (97,300). Sweden was fifth in the ranking of naturalisations, with 67,800 new citizens. France had the highest proportion of new citizens by age group (35%), followed by Greece (30.8%) and Denmark (29.7%).
Overall, the distribution of citizenship grants among EU countries in 2023 largely reflects ongoing migration patterns established in prior years, with some shifts and continuities in top granting countries and the origins of new citizens. Brexit continues to shape migration and citizenship dynamics between the UK and EU nationals, while Germany remains a central hub for foreign-born populations and naturalizations in the EU.
- For wealth management purposes, it might be advantageous for those seeking investment opportunities to consider the business implications of the high number of EU citizenship acquisitions in countries like Spain, Italy, France, and Germany, which have a large foreign-born population.
- In the realm of personal finance, individuals from non-EU countries with EU citizenship might find it essential to understand the legal frameworks regarding finance and investing within their hosting countries, such as understanding the tax implications, investment opportunities, and financial regulations.
- As EU countries continue to attract foreign residents, financial institutions may find it beneficial to address the growing need for wealth management services tailored to the unique financial requirements of these new EU citizens, particularly those from countries like Morocco, Albania, Syria, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.
