<P> Statistics in the European Union are collected by Eurostat (European statistics body). </P> <P> As of 1 January 2006, the population of the EU was about 493 million people . Many countries are expected to experience a decline in population over the coming decades, though this could be offset with new countries planning to join the EU within the next 20 years . The most populous member state is Germany, with an estimated 80.4 million people . France and Ireland have the highest birth - rates . The most densely populated country is the island of Malta, which is also the smallest, while the largest in area is France . The least densely populated country is Finland . </P> <P> Population figures in the table below are from 2006 or 2007 estimates . The highest and lowest figures in each column have been marked in bold . </P>

What is the most densely populated western european country