In 2018, 580 800 first-time asylum seekers applied for international protection in the Member States of the European Union (EU), down by 11% compared with 2017 (654 600) and less than half of the number recorded in the peak year 2015 when 1 256 600 first-time asylum applicants were registered. The number of asylum applicants in 2018 is comparable to the level recorded in 2014, before the peaks of 2015 and 2016.
Syrian (80 900 first-time applicants), Afghan (41 000) and Iraqi (39 600) continued to be the main citizenships of people seeking international protection in the EU Member States in 2018, together accounting for almost 30% of all first-time applicants.
These data on asylum applicants in the EU are issued by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.
They are complemented with an article and an infographic available on the Eurostat website.
