<P> The demographics of the European Union show a highly populated, culturally diverse union of 28 member states . As of 1 January 2017, the population of the EU is about 511.5 million people . </P> <P> The most populous member state is Germany, with an estimated 82.8 million people, and the least populous member state is Malta with 0.4 million . Birth rates in the EU are low with the average woman having 1.6 children . The highest birth - rates are found in Ireland with 16.876 births per thousand people per year and France with 13.013 births per thousand people per year . Germany has the lowest birth rate in Europe with 8.221 births per thousand people per year . </P> <Table> Population and total area of the 28 member states of the European Union (1 January 2017 estimate) <Tr> <Th> Member State </Th> <Th> Population </Th> <Th> Percent of total EU pop . </Th> <Th> Total area km </Th> <Th> Percent of total EU area </Th> <Th> Pop . density People / km </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> EU </Td> <Td> 511,522,671 </Td> <Td> 100.00% </Td> <Td> 4,324,782 </Td> <Td> 100.00 </Td> <Td> 118.3 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Austria </Td> <Td> 8,772,865 </Td> <Td> 1.72% </Td> <Td> 83,858 </Td> <Td> 1.9 </Td> <Td> 104.6 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Belgium </Td> <Td> 11,351,727 </Td> <Td> 2.22% </Td> <Td> 30,510 </Td> <Td> 0.7 </Td> <Td> 372.1 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Bulgaria </Td> <Td> 7,101,859 </Td> <Td> 1.39% </Td> <Td> 110,912 </Td> <Td> 2.5 </Td> <Td> 64.0 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Croatia </Td> <Td> 4,154,213 </Td> <Td> 0.81% </Td> <Td> 56,594 </Td> <Td> 1.3 </Td> <Td> 73.4 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Cyprus </Td> <Td> 854,802 </Td> <Td> 0.17% </Td> <Td> 9,250 </Td> <Td> 0.2 </Td> <Td> 92.4 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Czech Republic </Td> <Td> 10,578,820 </Td> <Td> 2.07% </Td> <Td> 78,866 </Td> <Td> 1.8 </Td> <Td> 134.1 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Denmark </Td> <Td> 5,748,769 </Td> <Td> 1.12% </Td> <Td> 43,094 </Td> <Td> 1.0 </Td> <Td> 133.4 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Estonia </Td> <Td> 1,315,635 </Td> <Td> 0.26% </Td> <Td> 45,226 </Td> <Td> 1.0 </Td> <Td> 29.1 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Finland </Td> <Td> 5,503,297 </Td> <Td> 1.08% </Td> <Td> 337,030 </Td> <Td> 7.6 </Td> <Td> 16.3 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> France </Td> <Td> 67 186 638 </Td> <Td> 13.10% </Td> <Td> 643,548 </Td> <Td> 14.6 </Td> <Td> 104.1 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Germany </Td> <Td> 82,521,653 </Td> <Td> 16.13% </Td> <Td> 357,021 </Td> <Td> 8.1 </Td> <Td> 231.1 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Greece </Td> <Td> 10,768,193 </Td> <Td> 2.11% </Td> <Td> 131,957 </Td> <Td> 3.0 </Td> <Td> 81.6 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Hungary </Td> <Td> 9,797,561 </Td> <Td> 1.92% </Td> <Td> 93,030 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 105.3 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Ireland </Td> <Td> 4,784,383 </Td> <Td> 0.94% </Td> <Td> 70,280 </Td> <Td> 1.6 </Td> <Td> 68.1 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Italy </Td> <Td> 60,589,445 </Td> <Td> 11.84% </Td> <Td> 301,320 </Td> <Td> 6.8 </Td> <Td> 201.1 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Latvia </Td> <Td> 1,950,116 </Td> <Td> 0.38% </Td> <Td> 64,589 </Td> <Td> 1.5 </Td> <Td> 30.2 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Lithuania </Td> <Td> 2,847,904 </Td> <Td> 0.56% </Td> <Td> 65,200 </Td> <Td> 1.5 </Td> <Td> 43.7 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Luxembourg </Td> <Td> 590,667 </Td> <Td> 0.12% </Td> <Td> 2,586 </Td> <Td> 0.1 </Td> <Td> 228.4 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Malta </Td> <Td> 460,297 </Td> <Td> 0.09% </Td> <Td> 316 </Td> <Td> 0.0 </Td> <Td> 1,456.6 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Netherlands </Td> <Td> 17,081,507 </Td> <Td> 3.34% </Td> <Td> 41,526 </Td> <Td> 0.9 </Td> <Td> 411.3 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Poland </Td> <Td> 37,972,964 </Td> <Td> 7.42% </Td> <Td> 312,685 </Td> <Td> 7.1 </Td> <Td> 121.4 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Portugal </Td> <Td> 10,309,573 </Td> <Td> 2.02% </Td> <Td> 92,931 </Td> <Td> 2.0 </Td> <Td> 110.9 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Romania </Td> <Td> 19,644,350 </Td> <Td> 3.84% </Td> <Td> 238,391 </Td> <Td> 5.4 </Td> <Td> 82.4 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Slovakia </Td> <Td> 5,435,343 </Td> <Td> 1.06% </Td> <Td> 48,845 </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> 111.3 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Slovenia </Td> <Td> 2,065,895 </Td> <Td> 0.40% </Td> <Td> 20,253 </Td> <Td> 0.5 </Td> <Td> 102.0 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Spain </Td> <Td> 46,528,966 </Td> <Td> 9.09% </Td> <Td> 504,782 </Td> <Td> 11.4 </Td> <Td> 92.2 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Sweden </Td> <Td> 9,995,153 </Td> <Td> 1.95% </Td> <Td> 449,964 </Td> <Td> 10.2 </Td> <Td> 22.2 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> United Kingdom </Td> <Td> 65,808,573 </Td> <Td> 12.86% </Td> <Td> 244,820 </Td> <Td> 5.5 </Td> <Td> 268.8 </Td> </Tr> </Table>

Which country in europe has the highest birth rate