European people

European people or Europeans is an umbrella term for people who come from any ethnic, racial, or national group with origins in Europe. Today, it mainly means people who are from Europe and live there, as well as the European diaspora. The term "European" can also describe people in some countries outside of Europe—specifically in the Americas and Oceania—where many people have European ancestry even if they are not part of a European nation. People of European descent in Africa are also often included. Anyone who has European Union citizenship can also be called European in some situations.

As of 2025^[update], Europe is home to about 744 million people. Many people live outside Europe with some European ancestry. Most Indigenous Europeans are racially classified as White. In the past, people used a term called the Caucasian race to group together many people from Europe, West Asia, Central Asia, South Asia, and North Africa. This idea is no longer accepted, but some official data still uses the word "Caucasian," such as in the United States censuses, to describe people with European, Middle Eastern, or North African ancestry.

Population of Europe

Main articles: Demographics of Europe and Immigration to Europe

More than 744 million people live in Europe today. Many people from other parts of the world, like Asia, Africa, and Latin America, have moved to Europe. Some big groups come from places such as Egypt, Syria, and Tunisia.

Russia has the most people in Europe, with 146 million, though most live in a part of Russia outside Europe. Germany is the biggest country completely inside Europe, with about 83 million people. Families in Europe have fewer children than before, with about 1.5 children per family on average.

European diaspora

Main article: European emigration

In 2015, about 480 million people were part of the European diaspora. These are people whose ancestors came from Europe but now live outside of Europe. Many of them live in the Americas and Oceania. The United States has the largest group with European ancestry, followed by Brazil, Argentina, Canada, and Australia. This spread happened mainly because of historical emigration from Europe, especially during and after the Age of Discovery, and was linked to the growth of European colonial empires, such as those of the British, the French, the Spaniards, and the Portuguese.