How many foreign workers each EU country takes in per 1,000 inhabitants: Romania ranks 9th of 27 (Eurostat 2025)
In 2025, the EU Member States issued 1,295,687 first residence permits for work to non-EU citizens, 16.1% more than in 2024. Romania issued 60,840, i.e. 3.2 per 1,000 inhabitants: one new foreign worker per 313 inhabitants. Relative to population, Romania ranks 9th of 27, slightly above the EU average of 2.9. The figures are those published by Eurostat (updated on 28 September 2026); the per-capita ratios are our own calculation, based on each country's population on 1 January 2025.
In brief
- EU: 1,295,687 first permits for work, i.e. 33.6% of the 3.86 million first permits issued in 2025.
- Romania: 60,840 first permits for work, up from 44,084 in 2024 (+38%).
- Per 1,000 inhabitants: Romania 3.2, EU average 2.9.
- In absolute numbers: Romania ranks 5th in the EU, after Poland, Portugal, Spain and Germany.
- For all permits (work, family, studies and other reasons): Romania has 3.9 per 1,000 inhabitants, 25th of 27, less than half the EU average of 8.6.
Full ranking: first permits for work, 2025
| Rank | Country | Permits for work 2025 | Per 1,000 inhabitants | Inhabitants per permit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Malta | 16,289 | 28.4 | 35 |
| 2 | Cyprus | 25,168 | 25.6 | 39 |
| 3 | Portugal | 240,523 | 21.1 | 47 |
| 4 | Lithuania | 42,030 | 14.5 | 69 |
| 5 | Croatia | 47,382 | 12.2 | 82 |
| 6 | Poland | 318,186 | 8.7 | 115 |
| 7 | Slovenia | 13,953 | 6.5 | 153 |
| 8 | Hungary | 48,520 | 5.1 | 197 |
| 9 | Romania | 60,840 | 3.2 | 313 |
| 10 | Ireland | 16,759 | 3.1 | 325 |
| 11 | Luxembourg | 1,931 | 2.8 | 353 |
| 12 | Denmark | 16,149 | 2.7 | 371 |
| 13 | Slovakia | 13,263 | 2.4 | 409 |
| 14 | Spain | 115,040 | 2.3 | 427 |
| 15 | Latvia | 4,151 | 2.2 | 448 |
| 16 | Bulgaria | 12,596 | 2.0 | 511 |
| 17 | Finland | 9,211 | 1.6 | 612 |
| 18 | Czechia | 17,770 | 1.6 | 614 |
| 19 | Germany | 108,091 | 1.3 | 773 |
| 20 | Greece | 12,046 | 1.2 | 861 |
| 21 | Netherlands | 20,673 | 1.1 | 873 |
| 22 | Sweden | 11,290 | 1.1 | 938 |
| 23 | Italy | 57,362 | 1.0 | 1,028 |
| 24 | Estonia | 1,098 | 0.8 | 1,248 |
| 25 | Austria | 7,126 | 0.8 | 1,291 |
| 26 | France | 50,848 | 0.7 | 1,355 |
| 27 | Belgium | 7,392 | 0.6 | 1,608 |
| — | EU-27 average | 1,295,687 | 2.9 | 348 |
Source: Eurostat, first residence permits issued for employment reasons (2025) and population on 1 January 2025. Columns 4 and 5 are calculated by WantJOB.
How to read the table
The top places are taken by two small countries, Malta and Cyprus, and by Portugal. Next come countries from our region: Lithuania, Croatia, Poland, Slovenia and Hungary issue more work permits relative to population than Romania. Hungary has 5.1 per 1,000 inhabitants, Croatia 12.2.
The large western economies are in the bottom half of the ranking: Germany 1.3, Italy 1.0, France 0.7. Not because they take in few foreigners, but because work is a minority reason there: only 17.9% of Germany's first permits are for work, 13.5% in France and 13.2% in Italy. The rest are for family, studies and international protection.
Romania: few foreigners overall, almost all of them here to work
In 2025 Romania issued a total of 74,664 first residence permits, for all reasons. Of these, 81.5% are for work. That is the second-highest share in the EU, after Croatia (93.0%); the EU average is 33.6%.
This is where the difference between the two rankings comes from:
| Indicator, 2025 | Romania | EU average | Romania's rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| First permits for work per 1,000 inhabitants | 3.2 | 2.9 | 9th of 27 |
| All first permits per 1,000 inhabitants | 3.9 | 8.6 | 25th of 27 |
| Share of work permits in the total | 81.5% | 33.6% | 2nd of 27 |
In other words, non-EU citizens who come to Romania come almost exclusively because an employer called them. For all permits, only Estonia and Bulgaria are below Romania.
Why the figures don't match IGI's
For 2025, IGI reports 118,071 employment authorisations issued and a quota of 100,000 newly admitted workers, fully used. Eurostat shows 60,840 first permits for work. The two figures measure different things and cannot be compared directly: the employment authorisation is the approval given to the employer at the start of the procedure, while the first residence permit is issued at the end of it, after the visa, entry into the country and the signing of the employment contract. You can find the IGI figures in the resource Foreign Workers in Romania in 2025: Official IGI Statistics.
For comparing countries, residence permits are the only measure calculated the same way everywhere.
What these figures don't show
- They are new permits only. Eurostat counts the first permit issued to a person (or a new permit after a gap of at least 6 months), valid for at least 3 months. Renewals are not included. The table shows how many people arrived in a year, not how many foreigners work in a country in total.
- Ukrainians with temporary protection are not included. They are counted in separate statistics.
- EU citizens are not included. A Pole working in Germany or a Romanian working in Italy does not need a permit and does not appear here.
- Population means all inhabitants, not only the country's citizens. For Romania, the figure of 19,043,151 is a Eurostat estimate.
- Portugal: Eurostat flags the 2025 figure with a "break in time series". The jump from 60,553 to 240,523 permits cannot be compared directly with the previous year.
- Ireland: the figure is flagged as "low reliability".
- Poland: according to Eurostat, it issued 72% of all permits granted to Ukrainians in the EU and 87% of those granted to citizens of Belarus, most of them for work. Its recruitment pool is different from Romania's.
What it means for employers
- Romania is not the only destination. Eight EU countries issue more work permits relative to population, among them Croatia, Poland, Lithuania and Hungary. Pay, accommodation and a clear contract matter both for recruiting and for keeping the worker.
- Almost all immigration goes through the employer. With more than 8 in 10 permits issued for work, the obligations fall on the company: registration on WorkinRomania.gov.ro, the contract based on the framework template and the integration programme. We explain them in the GEO 32/2026 guide for employers.
- 2025 is the last full year under the old rules. GEO 32/2026 applies from August 2026, the quota for 2026 is 90,000, and since 15 September 2026 the employer registration and D/AM2 single application flows have been disabled on the platform. The effect will show in next year's Eurostat data.
Frequently asked questions
How many new foreign workers did Romania take in in 2025?
60,840 first residence permits for work, according to Eurostat, 38% more than in 2024 (44,084). That is 3.2 per 1,000 inhabitants, i.e. one permit per 313 inhabitants.
Where does Romania rank in the EU?
It depends on what you measure. For work permits relative to population, 9th of 27. In absolute numbers, 5th. For all residence permits relative to population (work, family, studies, other reasons), 25th of 27.
Which EU country takes in the most foreign workers?
In absolute numbers, Poland (318,186), followed by Portugal (240,523), Spain (115,040) and Germany (108,091). Together, the four issued 60.3% of the EU's work permits. Relative to population, Malta (28.4 per 1,000 inhabitants) and Cyprus (25.6) come first.
Are Ukrainians with temporary protection included?
No. The statistics cover residence permits; temporary protection is reported separately.
Where does the data come from?
From the Eurostat database: table migr_resfirst (first permits by reason, updated on 28.09.2026) and table demo_gind (population on 1 January 2025, updated on 30.09.2026). The methodological notes are on the Eurostat page Residence permits – statistics on first permits issued during the year.
This resource is for information purposes. The figures are those published by Eurostat on the date consulted (10 October 2026) and may be revised; the per-capita ratios and rankings are calculated by WantJOB on that basis.
Recruiting workers from outside the EU? The WantJOB platform covers your post-employment obligations: bilingual contracts, occupational safety and health training in the worker's language and the integration programme required by GEO 32/2026.