Greece ranks first in Europe for asylum applications relative to population

Greece recorded around 23,000 asylum applications in the first half of 2026, giving it Europe’s highest per capita rate, according to a new report from the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA).

While asylum applications across Europe have fallen significantly this year, Greece continues to face a disproportionately high level of pressure relative to its population.

According to the EUAA report, applications for international protection across the 27 European Union member states, together with Norway and Switzerland, fell by 17 per cent in the first half of 2026, reaching their lowest level since 2019.

Greece, however, recorded approximately 23,000 applications, representing about 7 per cent of the total across the 29 countries covered by the report.

When measured against population size, Greece recorded 2,254 asylum applications per million inhabitants.

That equates to approximately one asylum application for every 444 residents, giving Greece the highest per capita rate in Europe.

Cyprus recorded the second highest rate, with 1,732 applications per million inhabitants.

The figures highlight the continuing pressure faced by Greece and other frontline Mediterranean countries, despite the broader decline in asylum applications across Europe.

Greece’s geographical position makes it one of the principal entry points into the European Union for people arriving from the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

The latest figures come amid continued European efforts to strengthen migration controls, accelerate asylum procedures and improve cooperation with countries outside the EU.

For Greece, the per capita figures underline the scale of the challenge compared with larger European countries, where even significantly higher absolute numbers of applications can represent a smaller proportion of the population.

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