Nearly one million non-European foreign nationals were naturalized in 2023 by one of the European Union countries where they reside. This is according to statistics published on February 28, 2025, by Eurostat, the official website of the European Union. The data reveals that 1.1 million people acquired citizenship in an EU member state in 2023. Of these, 87.6%—or 963,600 individuals—came from countries outside the EU, making them non-European foreigners who gained citizenship.
Moroccans Rank High Among New EU Citizens
Eurostat’s figures show that Moroccans are among the top three nationalities of foreigners who became new citizens in the EU countries where they live. Specifically, Moroccans rank second, just behind Syrians and ahead of Albanians.
In 2023, no fewer than 106,500 Moroccan nationals were naturalized, becoming new citizens of an EU country. The number of Moroccans gaining European citizenship has been steadily increasing year by year. In 2020, only 69,000 Moroccans obtained EU citizenship, a figure that rose to 86,000 in 2021 before surpassing 100,000 in 2023.
Syrians slightly outpace Moroccans with 107,500 naturalizations in EU countries in 2023, while Albanians follow in third place with 44,400 naturalizations during the same year.
Algerians Absent from the Top 10
Meanwhile, Algerians do not even appear in the top 10 nationalities with the most naturalizations in EU countries. After Syrians, Moroccans, and Albanians, the list includes Romanians, Venezuelans, Brazilians, Ukrainians, Indians, Turks, and Argentinians.
EU Countries Granting the Most Naturalizations
When it comes to the EU countries granting the highest number of naturalizations in 2023, Eurostat data highlights Spain as the leader with 240,200 naturalizations (22.9% of the total). Italy follows with 213,600 naturalizations (20.3%), and Germany comes in third with 199,800 naturalizations (19%). France ranks fourth, with just 97,300 naturalizations, accounting for 9.3% of the European total.
In terms of the highest naturalization rate, Sweden tops the list with 7.8 naturalizations per 100 foreign residents. France lags far behind in 14th place, with a naturalization rate relative to its foreign resident population calculated at less than 2%.
