With migration at the top of the regional agenda across Europe, a new map highlights the dramatic shifts in population the continent experienced during the first decade of the 21st century.

The map was created by Germany’s BBSR – the Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development – and shows the average annual change in population of every European municipality between 2001 and 2011 (the latest year for which data is available). Blue areas show population falls while red areas show increases, and the darker the colour the bigger the change. Yellow areas experienced little or no change.

(Click to enlarge)

While much of Western Europe – including France, the UK, Ireland and the Benelux countries – saw strong population growth, many Eastern Europe countries – Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia and Romania – experienced significant declines, as did certain areas of Spain and Italy, along with much of Germany.

Another key trend highlighted by the map is the growth in the population of Europe’s cities, coupled with suburbanisation as people move outwards from the inner cities (this is particularly striking in Poland).

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Author: Paul Muggeridge is Head of Content at Formative Content.

Image: A street scene in Enghien-les-Bains, north of Paris. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann