Editing European Union (section)

==Demographics==
<!--Section named and ordered by WikiProject Countries-->
{{Main|Demographics of the European Union}}
{{See also|European Union citizenship}}

=== Population ===
[[File:Population density by NUTS 3 region (2017).svg|thumb|right|upright=1|Map showing the population density by [[Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics|NUTS3 region]], 2017, including non-EU countries]]

The population of the EU in 2024 was about 449&nbsp;million people, corresponding to 5.8 per cent of the world population.<ref name="population">{{Cite web |title=Population on 1st January by age, sex and type of projection |url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/tps00001/default/table?lang=en |access-date=28 December 2024 |publisher=[[Eurostat]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Share of world population, 1960, 2015 and 2060 (%) |url=http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/File:Share_of_world_population,_1960,_2015_and_2060_(%25)_2.png |access-date=28 June 2017 |website=ec.europa.eu}}</ref> The [[population density]] across the EU was 106 inhabitants per square kilometre, which is more than the world average.<ref name="ec.europa.eu">[https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-key-figures/w/ks-ex-23-001 Eurostat, ''Key figures on the EU in the world'', 2023 edition, p. 12]</ref> It is highest in areas in central and western Europe, sometimes referred to as the "[[blue banana]]", while [[Sweden]] and [[Finland]] in the north are much more sparsely populated.

The total population of the EU has been slightly decreasing for several years, contracting by 0.04 per cent in 2021.<ref>[https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-key-figures/w/ks-ex-23-001 Eurostat, ''Key figures on the EU in the world'', 2023 edition, p. 19]</ref> This is due to a low birth rate of about 1.5 children per woman, less than the world average of 2.3.<ref>[https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-key-figures/w/ks-ex-23-001 Eurostat, ''Key figures on the EU in the world'', 2023 edition, p. 17]</ref> In total, 4.1 million babies were born in the EU in 2021.<ref>[https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/w/DDN-20230309-1 Eurostat, "How many children were born in the EU in 2021?"?]</ref> [[Immigration to Europe]] partially compensates for the natural population decrease.

Of the people residing in the EU, 5.3 per cent are not [[European Union citizenship|EU citizens]].<ref name="ec.europa.eu" /> There were 31 non-EU citizenships that each accounted for at least 1 per cent of non-EU citizens living in the EU, of which the largest were [[Morocco|Moroccan]], [[Turkey|Turkish]], [[Syria]]n and [[China|Chinese]].<ref>[https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-key-figures/w/ks-ex-23-001 Eurostat, ''Key figures on the EU in the world'', 2023 edition, p. 20]</ref> Around 1.9 million people [[Immigration to Europe|immigrated to one of the EU member states]] from a non-EU country during 2020, and a total of 956,000 people emigrated from a member state to go to a non-EU country during the same year.<ref>[https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-key-figures/w/ks-ex-23-001 Eurostat, ''Key figures on the EU in the world'', 2023 edition, p. 21]</ref>

==== Urbanisation ====
{{See also|List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits|List of urban areas in the European Union}}
[[File:La Tour Eiffel vue de la Tour Saint-Jacques, Paris août 2014 (2).jpg|thumb|left|The [[Paris metropolitan area]] is the most populous urban area in the EU.]]

More than two thirds (68.2%) of EU inhabitants lived in [[urban area]]s in 2020, which is slightly less than the world average.<ref name="ec.europa.eu" /> Cities are largely spread out across the EU with a large grouping in and around the [[Benelux]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2006 |title=Urban sprawl in Europe: The ignored challenge, European Environmental Agency |url=http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/eea_report_2006_10/eea_report_10_2006.pdf |access-date=13 October 2013}}</ref> The EU contains about 40 urban areas with populations of over 1{{nbsp}}million. With a population of over 13 million,<ref name="paris_AAV20_pop">{{Cite web |title=Comparateur de territoire: Aire d'attraction des villes 2020 de Paris (001) |url=https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/1405599?geo=AAV2020-001 |access-date=10 February 2021 |publisher=INSEE}}</ref> [[Paris]] is the largest metropolitan area and the only [[megacity]] in the EU.<ref name="eurostat">{{Cite web |title=Eurostat – Data Explorer |url=http://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do?dataset=met_pjanaggr3&lang=en |access-date=22 November 2018 |publisher=Eurostat}}</ref> Paris is followed by [[Madrid]], [[Barcelona]], [[Berlin]], the [[Ruhr]], [[Milan]], and [[Rome]], all with a metropolitan population of over 4{{nbsp}}million.

The EU also has numerous [[Conurbation|polycentric]] urbanised regions like [[Rhine-Ruhr]] ([[Cologne]], [[Dortmund]], [[Düsseldorf]] et al.), [[Randstad]] ([[Amsterdam]], [[Rotterdam]], [[The Hague]], [[Utrecht]] et al.), [[Frankfurt Rhine-Main]] ([[Frankfurt]], [[Wiesbaden]], [[Mainz]] et al.), the [[Flemish Diamond]] ([[Antwerp]], [[Brussels]], [[Leuven]], [[Ghent]] et al.) and [[Upper Silesian-Moravian metropolitan area|Upper Silesian-Moravian area]] ([[Katowice]], [[Ostrava]] et al.).<ref name="eurostat" />

{{Largest population centres
| country = the European Union
| stat_ref = metropolitan regions, [[Eurostat]] 2023<ref>{{Cite web |title=Population on 1 January by broad age group, sex and metropolitan regions – Eurostat |url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-datasets/-/met_pjanaggr3 |access-date=29 February 2024 |website=ec.europa.eu}}</ref>
| list_by_pop = Larger urban zone#List of larger urban zones
| div_link = Member state of the European Union{{!}}State
| city_1 = Paris | div_1 = France | pop_1 = 12,388,388
| city_2 = Madrid | div_2 = Spain | pop_2 = 6,871,903
| city_3 = Barcelona | div_3 = Spain | pop_3 = 5,797,356
| city_4 = Berlin | div_4 = Germany | pop_4 = 5,481,613
| city_5 = Ruhr | div_5 = Germany | pop_5 = 5,147,820
| city_6 = Milan | div_6 = Italy | pop_6 = 4,329,748
| city_7 = Rome | div_7 = Italy | pop_7 = 4,227,059
| city_8 = Athens | div_8 = Greece | pop_8 = 3,626,216
| city_9 = Hamburg | div_9 = Germany | pop_9 = 3,423,121
| city_10 = Amsterdam | div_10 = Netherlands | pop_10 = 3,397,323
| city_11 = Brussels | div_11 = Belgium | pop_11 = 3,395,581
| city_12 = Warsaw | div_12 = Poland | pop_12 = 3,269,510
| city_13 = Marseille | div_13 = France | pop_13 = 3,183,476
| city_14 = Budapest | div_14 = Hungary | pop_14 = 3,031,887
| city_15 = Munich | div_15 = Germany | pop_16 = 2,981,735
| city_16 = Naples | div_16 = Italy | pop_15 = 2,980,338
| city_17 = Vienna | div_17 = Austria | pop_17 = 2,971,753
| city_18 = Lisbon | div_18 = Portugal | pop_18 = 2,899,670
| city_19 = Stuttgart | div_19 = Germany | pop_19 = 2,816,924
| city_20 = Prague | div_20 = Czech Republic| pop_20 = 2,796,717
}}

===Languages===
{{Main|Languages of the European Union}}

{{See also|Translation Centre for the Bodies of the European Union}}

{| class="wikitable floatright mw-collapsible plainrowheaders sortable" style="border: 0.5em; font-size: 90%; line-height: 0.9em; max-width: 20em; text-align: center;"
|+ Official languages by percentage of speakers, 2012{{Efn|Reference article dated February 2020,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Keating |first=Dave |title=Despite Brexit, English Remains The EU's Most Spoken Language By Far |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/davekeating/2020/02/06/despite-brexit-english-remains-the-eus-most-spoken-language-by-far/ |access-date=7 February 2020 |website=Forbes}}</ref> taking survey data from 2012<ref>{{Cite web |title=Europeans and Their Languages, 2012 Report |url=http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_386_en.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160106183351/http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_386_en.pdf |archive-date=6 January 2016 |access-date=3 June 2013}}</ref>}}{{failed verification|date=March 2023|reason=2020 source gives "the overall number of EU citizens who can speak English has only dropped to 44% – if we apply the 2012 data to the EU's new population. English is still the most spoken language in the EU by far, with German now spoken by 36% of citizens and French spoken by 29%"}}
! scope="col" style="width: 60%;" | Language
! scope="col" style="width: 20%;" | [[First language|Native speakers]]{{Efn|Native language<ref name="nativeLanguages">{{Cite web |last=European Commission |year=2012 |title=Europeans and their Languages |url=http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_386_anx_en.pdf |access-date=16 December 2012 |website=Special [[Eurobarometer]] 386 |publisher=europa.eu |pages=54–59}}</ref>}}
! scope="col" style="width: 20%;" | Total{{Efn|EU citizens able to hold a conversation in this language<ref name="totalLanguages">{{Cite web |last=European Commission |year=2012 |title=Europeans and their Languages |url=http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_386_anx_en.pdf |access-date=16 December 2012 |website=Special [[Eurobarometer]] 386 |publisher=europa.eu |pages=78–83}}</ref>}}
|-
! scope="row" | [[German language|German]]
|18%
|32%
|-
! scope="row" | [[French language|French]]
|13%
|26%
|-
! scope="row" | [[Italian language|Italian]]
|12%
|16%
|-
! scope="row" | Spanish
|8%
|15%
|-
! scope="row" | [[Polish language|Polish]]
|8%
|9%
|-
! scope="row" | [[Romanian language|Romanian]]
|5%
|5%
|-
! scope="row" | [[Dutch language|Dutch]]
|4%
|5%
|-
! scope="row" | [[Greek language|Greek]]
|3%
|4%
|-
! scope="row" | [[Hungarian language|Hungarian]]
|3%
|3%
|-
! scope="row" | [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]]
|2%
|3%
|-
! scope="row" | [[Czech language|Czech]]
|2%
|3%
|-
! scope="row" | [[Swedish language|Swedish]]
|2%
|3%
|-
! scope="row" | [[Bulgarian language|Bulgarian]]
|2%
|2%
|-
! scope="row" | English
|1%
|51%
|-
! scope="row" | [[Slovak language|Slovak]]
|1%
|2%
|-
! scope="row" | [[Danish language|Danish]]
|1%
|1%
|-
! scope="row" | [[Finnish language|Finnish]]
|1%
|1%
|-
! scope="row" | [[Lithuanian language|Lithuanian]]
|1%
|1%
|-
! scope="row" | [[Croatian language|Croatian]]
|1%
|1%
|-
! scope="row" | [[Slovene language|Slovene]]
|<1%
|<1%
|-
! scope="row" | [[Estonian language|Estonian]]
|<1%
|<1%
|-
! scope="row" | [[Irish language|Irish]]
|<1%
|<1%
|-
! scope="row" | [[Latvian language|Latvian]]
|<1%
|<1%
|-
! scope="row" | [[Maltese language|Maltese]]
|<1%
|<1%
|}

The EU has 24 official languages: [[Bulgarian language|Bulgarian]], [[Croatian language|Croatian]], [[Czech language|Czech]], [[Danish language|Danish]], [[Dutch language|Dutch]], [[English language|English]], [[Estonian language|Estonian]], [[Finnish language|Finnish]], [[French language|French]], [[German language|German]], [[Greek language|Greek]], [[Hungarian language|Hungarian]], [[Italian language|Italian]], [[Irish language|Irish]], [[Latvian language|Latvian]], [[Lithuanian language|Lithuanian]], [[Maltese language|Maltese]], [[Polish language|Polish]], [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]], [[Romanian language|Romanian]], [[Slovak language|Slovak]], [[Slovene language|Slovene]], [[Spanish language|Spanish]], and [[Swedish language|Swedish]]. Important documents, such as legislation, are translated into every official language and the [[European Parliament]] provides translation for documents and plenary sessions.<ref name="Official Languages">{{Cite web |last=EUR-Lex |date=12 December 2006 |title=Council Regulation (EC) No 1791/2006 of 20 November 2006 |url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:31958R0001:EN:NOT |access-date=2 February 2007 |website=Official Journal of the European Union |publisher=Europa web portal}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Languages in Europe – Official EU Languages |url=http://ec.europa.eu/education/languages/languages-of-europe/doc135_en.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090202112407/http://ec.europa.eu/education/languages/languages-of-europe/doc135_en.htm |archive-date=2 February 2009 |access-date=12 October 2009 |publisher=EUROPA web portal}}</ref> Most EU institutions use only a handful of working languages: the European Commission conducts its internal business in three ''procedural languages'': English, French, and German;<ref name="procedural">{{Cite web |title=European Commission – Frequently asked questions on languages in Europe |url=http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-13-825_en.htm |website=europa.eu}}</ref> the [[Court of Justice of the European Union|Court of Justice]] uses French as the working language,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sharpston |first=Eleanor V.E. |date=29 March 2011 |title=Appendix 5: Written Evidence of Advocate General Sharpston |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201011/ldselect/ldeucom/128/12816.htm |access-date=27 August 2013 |website=The Workload of the Court of Justice of the European Union |publisher=House of Lords European Union Committee}}</ref> and the [[European Central Bank]] conducts its business primarily in English.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Buell |first=Todd |date=29 October 2014 |title=Translation Adds Complexity to European Central Bank's Supervisory Role: ECB Wants Communication in English, But EU Rules Allow Use of Any Official Language |work=The Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/translation-adds-complexity-to-european-central-banks-supervisory-role-1414580925 |access-date=11 October 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Athanassiou |first=Phoebus |date=February 2006 |title=The Application of multilingualism in the European Union Context |url=http://www.ecb.europa.eu/pub/pdf/scplps/ecblwp2.pdf |access-date=11 October 2015 |publisher=ECB |page=26}}</ref> Even though [[language policy]] is the responsibility of member states, EU institutions promote multilingualism among its citizens.<ref name="art249" group="lower-alpha" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=European Parliament |year=2004 |title=European Parliament Fact Sheets: 4.16.3. Language policy |url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/facts/4_16_3_en.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070219033654/http://www.europarl.europa.eu/facts/4_16_3_en.htm |archive-date=19 February 2007 |access-date=3 February 2007 |publisher=Europa web portal}}</ref>

The most widely spoken language in the EU is [[English language|English]]; the language is spoken by 44 per cent of the population (2016 data) and studied by 95 per cent of school students,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Euobserver |date=27 September 2011 |title=News in Brief / English studied by 95% of EU students |url=http://euobserver.com/1016/113742 |website=EUobserver}}</ref> although following the [[Brexit|withdrawal of the United Kingdom]] less than 1 per cent of the population speak it natively. [[German language|German]] and [[French language|French]] are spoken by 36 per cent and 30 per cent of the population.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Technical Specification |url=http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_386_anx_en.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160106183351/http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_386_anx_en.pdf |archive-date=6 January 2016 |mode=cs2}}, in {{cite report|url=http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_386_en.pdf|date=June 2012 |title=Europeans and their Languages|work=Special Eurobarometer 386|publisher=European Commission|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160106183351/http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_386_en.pdf |archive-date=6 January 2016 |url-status=dead |ref={{harvid|Europeans and their Languages|2012}}}}</ref> More than half (56 per cent) of EU citizens are able to engage in a conversation in a language other than their mother tongue.<ref name="Eurobarometer Languages_P3">{{Cite web |last=European Commission |year=2006 |title=Special Eurobarometer 243: Europeans and their Languages (Executive Summary) |url=http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_243_sum_en.pdf |access-date=11 March 2011 |publisher=Europa web portal |page=3 |quote=56% of citizens in the EU Member States are able to hold a conversation in one language apart from their mother tongue.}}</ref>

[[Luxembourgish]] (in Luxembourg) and [[Turkish language|Turkish]] (in Cyprus) are the only two national languages that are not official languages of the EU. [[Catalan language|Catalan]], [[Galician language|Galician]] and [[Basque language|Basque]] are not recognised official languages of the EU but have official status in Spain. Therefore, official translations of the treaties are made into them and citizens have the right to correspond with the institutions in these languages.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Klimczak-Pawlak |first=Agata |url={{GBurl|id=BWK4BAAAQBAJ|p=1}} |title=Towards the Pragmatic Core of English for European Communication: The Speech Act of Apologising in Selected Euro-Englishes |publisher=Springer Science & Business |year=2014 |isbn=978-3-319-03557-4}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=8 March 2010 |title=MEPs push for EU recognition of Catalan, Welsh languages |url=https://www.euractiv.com/section/languages-culture/news/meps-push-for-eu-recognition-of-catalan-welsh-languages/ |access-date=28 June 2017 |website=Euractiv |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170903120902/https://www.euractiv.com/section/languages-culture/news/meps-push-for-eu-recognition-of-catalan-welsh-languages/ |archive-date=3 September 2017 }}</ref> There are about 150 [[regional language|regional]] and [[minority language]]s in the EU, spoken by up to 50&nbsp;million people.<ref name="Many tongues, one family">{{Cite web |last=European Commission |year=2004 |title=Many tongues, one family. Languages in the European Union |url=http://ec.europa.eu/publications/booklets/move/45/en.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070329125431/http://ec.europa.eu/publications/booklets/move/45/en.pdf |archive-date=29 March 2007 |access-date=3 February 2007 |publisher=Europa web portal}}</ref> The [[European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages]] ratified by most EU states provides general guidelines that states can follow to protect their linguistic heritage. The [[European Day of Languages]] is held annually on 26 September and is aimed at encouraging language learning across Europe.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2001 |title=Committee of Ministers – European Year of Languages Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1539 |url=https://wcd.coe.int/ViewDoc.jsp?Ref=776/7.1&Sector=secCM&Language=lanEnglish&Ver=original&BackColorInternet=9999CC&BackColorIntranet=FFBB55&BackColorLogged=FFAC75%20 |access-date=26 September 2012 |publisher=Wcd.coe.int}}</ref>

===Religion===
{{Main|Religion in the European Union}}

{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible plainrowheaders floatright" style="font-size: 90%;"
|+ Religious affiliation in the EU (2015)<ref name="EB2015">{{Cite web |year=2015 |title=Discrimiation in the EU in 2015 |url=http://zacat.gesis.org/webview/index.jsp?headers=http%3A%2F%2F193.175.238.79%3A80%2Fobj%2FfVariable%2FZA6595_V355&V355slice=1&previousmode=table&stubs=http%3A%2F%2F193.175.238.79%3A80%2Fobj%2FfVariable%2FZA6595_V10&weights=http%3A%2F%2F193.175.238.79%3A80%2Fobj%2FfVariable%2FZA6595_V42&analysismode=table&study=http%3A%2F%2F193.175.238.79%3A80%2Fobj%2FfStudy%2FZA6595&tabcontenttype=row&gs=362&V10slice=1&mode=table&top=yess |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200314105932/https://zacat.gesis.org/webview/index.jsp?headers=http%3A%2F%2F193.175.238.79%3A80%2Fobj%2FfVariable%2FZA6595_V355&V355slice=1&previousmode=table&stubs=http%3A%2F%2F193.175.238.79%3A80%2Fobj%2FfVariable%2FZA6595_V10&weights=http%3A%2F%2F193.175.238.79%3A80%2Fobj%2FfVariable%2FZA6595_V42&analysismode=table&study=http%3A%2F%2F193.175.238.79%3A80%2Fobj%2FfStudy%2FZA6595&tabcontenttype=row&gs=362&V10slice=1&mode=table&top=yess |archive-date=14 March 2020 |access-date=15 October 2017 |website=[[Eurobarometer|Special Eurobarometer]] |series=437 |publisher=[[European Commission]] |via=[[GESIS – Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences|GESIS]] |location=European Union}}</ref>
! scope="col" | Affiliation
! colspan="2" scope="colgroup" | Per cent of EU population
|-
! scope="row" | [[Christianity|Christian]]
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Bartable|71.6||2||background:darkblue}}
|-
! scope="row" style="text-indent: 15px;" | [[Catholic]]
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Bartable|45.3||2||background:lightblue}}
|-
! scope="row" style="text-indent: 15px;" | [[Protestant]]
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Bartable|11.1||2||background:lightblue}}
|-
! scope="row" style="text-indent: 15px;" | [[Eastern Orthodox]]
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Bartable|9.6||2||background:lightblue}}
|-
! scope="row" style="text-indent: 15px;" | Other Christian
| align=right |{{Bartable| 5.6||2||background:lightblue}}
|-
! scope="row" | [[Muslim]]
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Bartable| 1.8||2||background:green}}
|-
! scope="row" | Other faiths
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Bartable| 2.6||2||background:purple}}
|-
! scope="row" | [[Irreligion|Irreligious]]
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Bartable| 24.0||2||background:grey}}
|-
! scope="row" style="text-indent: 15px;" | Non-believer/[[Agnosticism|Agnostic]]
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Bartable| 13.6||2||background:lightgrey}}
|-
! scope="row" style="text-indent: 15px;" | [[Atheism|Atheist]]
| style="text-align: right;" | {{Bartable| 10.4||2||background:lightgrey}}
|-
|}

The EU has no formal connection to any religion. Article 17 of the [[Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Consolidated version of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union |url=https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Consolidated_version_of_the_Treaty_on_the_Functioning_of_the_European_Union/Part_One:_Principles#Article_17 |via=Wikisource}}</ref> recognises the "status under national law of churches and religious associations" as well as that of "philosophical and non-confessional organisations".<ref name="Consolidated Treaties" /> The preamble to the [[Maastricht Treaty|Treaty on European Union]] mentions the "cultural, religious and humanist inheritance of Europe".<ref name="Consolidated Treaties">{{Cite web |title=Consolidated versions of the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union |url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.C_.2010.083.01.0001.01.ENG&toc=OJ%3AC%3A2010%3A083%3ATOC |access-date=1 January 2022 |website=eur-lex.europa.eu |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Lähdesmäki |first=Tuuli |date=2022 |title=The role of Christianity in the European Union's heritage and history initiatives |journal=[[Journal of European Studies]] |volume=52 |issue=3–4 |pages=170–186 |doi=10.1177/00472441221115571 |doi-access=free}}</ref> Discussion over the draft texts of the European Constitution and later the [[Treaty of Lisbon]] included proposals to mention [[Christianity]] or a [[god]], or both, in the preamble of the text, but the idea faced opposition and was dropped.<ref name="EUO Merkel God">{{Cite news |last=Castle |first=Stephen |date=21 March 2007 |title=EU celebrates 50th birthday-with a row about religion |work=The Independent |location=London |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/europe/eu-celebrates-its-50th-birthday--with-a-row-about-religion-440976.html |url-status=dead |access-date=4 March 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080405065450/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/europe/eu-celebrates-its-50th-birthday--with-a-row-about-religion-440976.html |archive-date=5 April 2008}}</ref>

Christians in the EU include [[Catholic Church|Catholics]] of both [[Latin Church|Roman]] and [[Eastern Catholic Churches|Eastern Rite]], numerous [[Protestantism|Protestant]] denominations with [[Lutheranism|Lutherans]], [[Anglicans]], and [[Reformed tradition|Reformed]] forming the majority of Protestant affiliations, and the [[Eastern Orthodox Church]]. In 2009, the EU had an estimated [[List of countries by Muslim population|Muslim population]] of 13&nbsp;million,<ref name="mgmpPRC">, about 3 per cent of the population, {{Cite web |title=Muslims in the European Union – Discrimination and Islamophobia |url=http://www.fra.europa.eu/fraWebsite/attachments/Manifestations_EN.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120722185047/http://fra.europa.eu/fraWebsite/attachments/Manifestations_EN.pdf |archive-date=22 July 2012 |access-date=1 November 2010 |publisher=Europa |website=EUMC }}</ref> and an estimated [[Jewish population]] of over a million.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Jewish Agency for Israel – U.S. |url=https://www.jewishagency.org/ |access-date=21 December 2022 |website= jewishagency.org}}</ref> The other world religions of [[Buddhism]], [[Hinduism]], and [[Sikhism]] are also represented in the EU population.

[[Eurostat]]'s [[Eurobarometer]] opinion polls showed in 2005 that 52 per cent of EU citizens believed in a god, 27 per cent in "some sort of spirit or life force", and 18 per cent had no form of belief.<ref name="Eurostat Religion">{{Cite journal |last=Eurostat |author-link=Eurostat |date= June 2005 |title=Social values, Science and Technology |url=http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_225_report_en.pdf |url-status=dead |journal=Special Eurobarometer 225 |publisher=Europa |page=9 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060524004644/http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_225_report_en.pdf |archive-date=24 May 2006 |access-date=11 June 2009}}</ref> Many countries have experienced falling church attendance and membership in recent years.<ref name="About SecE">{{Cite news |last=Ford |first=Peter |date=22 February 2005 |title=What place for God in Europe |work=USA Today |url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2005-02-21-god-europe_x.htm |agency=The Christian Science Monitor |access-date=24 July 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100831045337/https://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2005-02-21-god-europe_x.htm |archive-date= 31 August 2010 }}</ref> The countries where the fewest people reported a religious belief were Estonia (16 per cent) and the Czech Republic (19 per cent).<ref name="Eurostat Religion" /> The most religious countries were Malta (95 per cent, predominantly Catholic) as well as Cyprus and Romania (both predominantly Orthodox) each with about 90 per cent of citizens professing a belief in God. Across the EU, belief was higher among women, older people, those with religious upbringing, those who left school at 15 or 16, and those "positioning themselves on the right of the political scale".<ref name="Eurostat Religion" />

===Education and research===
{{Main|Educational policies and initiatives of the European Union|Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development}}

{{See also|European Institute of Innovation and Technology}}

[[File:Holbein-erasmus.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.75|[[Erasmus|Erasmus of Rotterdam]], the [[Renaissance humanism|Renaissance humanist]] after whom the [[Erasmus Programme]] is named]]

Basic education is an area where the EU's role is limited to supporting national governments. In higher education, the policy was developed in the 1980s in programmes supporting exchanges and mobility. The most visible of these has been the [[Erasmus Programme]], a university exchange programme which began in 1987. In its first 20&nbsp;years, it supported international exchange opportunities for well over 1.5&nbsp;million university and college students and became a symbol of European student life.<ref>{{Cite web |last=European Commission |title=The Erasmus programme celebrates its 20th anniversary |url=http://ec.europa.eu/education/news/erasmus20_en.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070703000422/http://ec.europa.eu/education/news/erasmus20_en.html |archive-date=3 July 2007 |access-date=21 July 2007 |publisher=Europa – Education and Training |postscript=;}} {{cite web|url=http://www.cafebabel.co.uk/article/19702/erasmus-turns-20-time-to-grow-up.html|title=Erasmus turns 20 – time to grow up?|last=Jean-Sébastien|first=Lefebvre|date=22 January 2007|publisher=Café Babel|access-date=10 August 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100912002728/http://www.cafebabel.co.uk/article/19702/erasmus-turns-20-time-to-grow-up.html|archive-date=12 September 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref>

There are similar programmes for school pupils and teachers, for trainees in [[vocational education|vocational education and training]], and for adult learners in the [[Lifelong Learning Programme 2007–2013]]. These programmes are designed to encourage a wider knowledge of other countries and to spread good practices in the education and training fields across the EU.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency of the European Commission |url=http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/index.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150429185547/http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/index.htm |archive-date=29 April 2015 |access-date=21 July 2007 |publisher=Europa |date= 24 February 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=European Commission |title=Lifelong Learning Programme |url=http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/llp/national_en.html |access-date=21 July 2007 |publisher=Europa – Education and Training |date=2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070815214706/http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/llp/national_en.html |archive-date= 15 August 2007 }}</ref> Through its support of the [[Bologna Process]], the EU is supporting comparable standards and compatible degrees across Europe.

Scientific development is facilitated through the EU's [[Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development|Framework Programmes]], the first of which started in 1984. The aims of EU policy in this area are to co-ordinate and stimulate research. The independent [[European Research Council]] allocates EU funds to European or national research projects.<ref>{{Cite web |last=European Research Council |title=Mission – What is the ERC? |url=http://erc.europa.eu/index.cfm?fuseaction=page.display&topicID=12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110813041547/http://erc.europa.eu/index.cfm?fuseaction=page.display&topicID=12 |archive-date=13 August 2011 |access-date=21 July 2007 |publisher=Europa |date=15 April 2008 }}</ref> EU [[Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development|research and technological framework programmes]] deal in a number of areas, for example energy where the aim is to develop a diverse mix of [[renewable energy]] to help the environment and to reduce dependence on imported fuels.<ref>{{Cite web |last=European Commission |title=Cooperation: Energy – FP7 |url=http://ec.europa.eu/research/fp7/index_en.cfm?pg=energy |access-date=12 November 2007 |publisher=Europa |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080302114200/http://ec.europa.eu/research/fp7/index_en.cfm?pg=energy |archive-date= 2 March 2008 }}</ref>

===Health===
{{Main|Healthcare in Europe}}

{{See also|European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control|European Chemicals Agency|European Medicines Agency|European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction}}

Article 35 of the [[Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union]] affirms that "A high level of human health protection shall be ensured in the definition and implementation of all Union policies and activities". The [[European Commission]]'s [[Directorate-General for Health and Consumers (European Commission)|Directorate-General for Health and Consumers]] seeks to align national laws on the protection of people's health, on the consumers' rights, on the safety of food and other products.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Our vision |url=http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/health_consumer/about_us/our_vision_en.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101112200650/http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/health_consumer/about_us/our_vision_en.htm |archive-date=12 November 2010 |access-date=26 November 2010 |website=Directorate General for Health & Consumers |publisher=Europa }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Directorate General for Health & Consumers |url=http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/health_consumer/index_en.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101111154145/http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/health_consumer/index_en.htm |archive-date=11 November 2010 |access-date=26 November 2010 |website=Europa }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=18 November 2010 |title=Health-EU Portal |url=http://ec.europa.eu/health-eu/index_en.htm |access-date=26 November 2010 |website=Europa |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101130120219/http://ec.europa.eu/health-eu/index_en.htm |archive-date= 30 November 2010 }}</ref>

All EU and many other European countries offer their citizens a free [[European Health Insurance Card]] which, on a reciprocal basis, provides insurance for emergency medical treatment insurance when visiting other participating European countries.<ref>{{Cite web |date=29 April 2010 |title=info about health care and EHIC |url=http://www.nhs.uk/nhsengland/Healthcareabroad/pages/Healthcareabroad.aspx |access-date=26 November 2010 |publisher=Nhs.uk |archive-date=25 November 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101125191700/http://www.nhs.uk/nhsengland/Healthcareabroad/pages/Healthcareabroad.aspx |url-status=dead }}</ref> A directive on cross-border healthcare aims at promoting co-operation on health care between member states and facilitating access to safe and high-quality cross-border healthcare for European patients.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Consilium.europa.eu |url=http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/lsa/119514.pdf |access-date=3 June 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Eur-lex.europa.eu |url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2011:088:0045:0065:EN:PDF |access-date=3 June 2013}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=17 May 2011 |title=NHSconfed.org |url=http://www.nhsconfed.org/Publications/Factsheets/Pages/Cross-border-healthcare-commissioners.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130728184655/http://www.nhsconfed.org/Publications/Factsheets/Pages/Cross-border-healthcare-commissioners.aspx |archive-date=28 July 2013 |access-date=3 June 2013 |publisher=NHSconfed.org}}</ref>

The life expectancy in the EU was 80.1 year at birth in 2021, among the highest in the world and around nine years higher than the world average.<ref>[https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-key-figures/w/ks-ex-23-001 Eurostat, ''Key figures on the EU in the world'', 2023 edition, p. 25]</ref> In general, life expectancy is lower in [[Eastern Europe]] than in [[Western Europe]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=In Europe, life expectancy is lower in the east |newspaper=The Economist |url=https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2018/09/24/in-europe-life-expectancy-is-lower-in-the-east}}</ref> In 2018, the EU region with the highest life expectancy was [[Comunidad de Madrid|Madrid]], Spain at 85.2 years, followed by the Spanish regions of [[La Rioja (Spain)|La Rioja]] and [[Castilla y León]] both at 84.3 years, [[Trentino]] in Italy at 84.3 years and [[Île-de-France]] in France at 84.2 years.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Life expectancy: Are you in one of the top 5 regions? |url=https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/products-eurostat-news/-/DDN-20181026-1 |website=ec.europa.eu}}</ref>

=== Social rights and equality ===
{{Main|European social model|European Social Fund Plus|Welfare State|European Social Charter|European Voluntary Service|European labour law|List of countries by guaranteed minimum income|European Pillar of Social Rights|List of European Union member states by minimum wage}}

The EU has also sought to coordinate the social security and health systems of member states to facilitate individuals exercising free movement rights and to ensure they maintain their ability to access social security and health services in other member states. Since 2019 there has been a European commissioner for equality and the [[European Institute for Gender Equality]] has existed since 2007. A Directive on countering gender-based violence has been proposed.<ref>{{Cite web |date=21 September 2022 |title=EU-wide effort on gender-based violence taking shape, but gaps remain |url=https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2022/09/21/an-eu-wide-approach-to-gender-based-violence-is-taking-shape-but-gaps-remain}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=7 April 2022 |title=A first insight into the EU proposal for a Directive on countering violence against women and domestic violence |url=https://www.ejiltalk.org/a-first-insight-into-the-eu-proposal-for-a-directive-on-countering-violence-against-women-and-domestic-violence/}}</ref> In September 2022, a European Care strategy was approved in order to provide "quality, affordable and accessible care services".<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 September 2022 |title=Questions and Answers: European Care Strategy |url=https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/qanda_22_5168 |access-date=23 September 2022 |website=European Commission}}</ref> The [[European Social Charter]] is the main body that recognises the social rights of European citizens.

In 2020, the first ever European Union Strategy on LGBTIQ equality was approved under [[Helena Dalli]] mandate.<ref>{{Cite web |date=12 November 2020 |title=Union of Equality: The Commission presents its first-ever strategy on LGBTIQ equality in the EU |url=https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_20_2068 |website=[[European Commission]]}}</ref> In December 2021, the commission announced the intention of codifying a union-wide law against LGBT hate crimes.<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 December 2021 |title=La Comisión Europea propone ampliar la lista de delitos de la Unión Europea para incluir los delitos de odio |trans-title=The European Commission proposes to extend the list of crimes of the European Union to include hate crimes |url=https://kifkif.info/la-comision-europea-propone-ampliar-la-lista-de-delitos-de-la-union-europea-para-incluir-los-delitos-de-odio/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211220174010/https://kifkif.info/la-comision-europea-propone-ampliar-la-lista-de-delitos-de-la-union-europea-para-incluir-los-delitos-de-odio/ |archive-date=20 December 2021 |access-date=20 December 2021 |website=kifkif.info |language=es}}</ref>

===Freedom, security and justice===
{{Main|Area of freedom, security and justice}}
{{Further|Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union}}
{{See also|eu-LISA|Eurojust|European Institute for Gender Equality|European Union Agency for Asylum|European Union Agency for Cybersecurity|European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training|Europol|Frontex|Fundamental Rights Agency}}

[[File:04CFREU-Article2-Crop.jpg|thumb|upright=1|The [[Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union]] contains a wide range of political, social, and economic rights for EU citizens.]]

Since the creation of the European Union in 1993, it has developed its competencies in the area of justice and home affairs; initially at an intergovernmental level and later by supranationalism. Accordingly, the union has legislated in areas such as [[European Arrest Warrant|extradition]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=European arrest warrant replaces extradition between EU Member States |url=http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/fsj/criminal/extradition/fsj_criminal_extradition_en.htm |access-date=4 September 2007 |publisher=Europa web portal}}</ref> family law,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jurisdiction and the recognition and enforcement of judgments in matrimonial matters and in matters of parental responsibility (Brussels II) |url=http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/justice_freedom_security/judicial_cooperation_in_civil_matters/l33194_en.htm |access-date=5 September 2008 |publisher=Europa web portal}}</ref> asylum law,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Minimum standards on the reception of applicants for asylum in Member States |url=http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/justice_freedom_security/free_movement_of_persons_asylum_immigration/l33150_en.htm |access-date=5 September 2008 |publisher=Europa web portal}}</ref> and criminal justice.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Specific Programme: 'Criminal Justice' |url=http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/justice_freedom_security/judicial_cooperation_in_criminal_matters/l10110_en.htm |access-date=5 September 2008 |publisher=Europa web portal}}</ref>

The EU has also established agencies to co-ordinate police, prosecution and civil litigations across the member states: [[Europol]] for police co-operation, [[CEPOL]] for training of police forces<ref>{{Cite web |title=European police office now in full swing |url=http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/fsj/police/europol/fsj_police_europol_en.htm |access-date=4 September 2007 |publisher=Europa web portal}}</ref> and the [[Eurojust]] for co-operation between prosecutors and courts.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Eurojust coordinating cross-border prosecutions at EU level |url=http://ec.europa.eu/justice_home/fsj/criminal/eurojust/fsj_criminal_eurojust_en.htm |access-date=4 September 2007 |publisher=Europa web portal}}</ref> It also operates the [[EUCARIS]] database of vehicles and drivers, the [[Eurodac]], the [[European Criminal Records Information System]], the [[European Cybercrime Centre]], [[FADO]], [[Public Register of Travel and Identity Documents Online|PRADO]] and others.

Prohibitions against discrimination have a long standing in the treaties. In more recent years, these have been supplemented by powers to legislate against discrimination based on race, religion, disability, age, and sexual orientation.<ref name="art2(7) Amsterdam" group="lower-alpha">See Article 2 (7) of the [[Amsterdam Treaty]] on [http://eur-lex.europa.eu/en/treaties/dat/11997D/htm/11997D.html#0001010001 eur-lex.europa.eu]. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080217024604/http://eur-lex.europa.eu/en/treaties/dat/11997D/htm/11997D.html#0001010001|date=17 February 2008}}.</ref> The treaties declare that the European Union itself is "founded on the values of respect for [[human dignity]], [[liberty|freedom]], democracy, [[equality before the law|equality]], the [[rule of law]] and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to [[minority group|minorities]]&nbsp;... in a society in which pluralism, non-discrimination, tolerance, justice, solidarity and equality between women and men prevail."<ref>[[wikisource:Consolidated version of the Treaty on European Union/Title I: Common Provisions#Article_2|Article 2, Treaty on European Union (consolidated 1 December 2009)]]</ref> By virtue of these powers, the EU has enacted legislation on [[sexism]] in the work-place, [[ageism|age discrimination]], and [[racism|racial discrimination]].<ref group="lower-alpha">Council Directive 2000/43/EC of 29 June 2000 implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of racial or ethnic origin (OJ L 180, 19 July 2000, pp. 22–26); Council Directive 2000/78/EC of 27 November 2000 establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation (OJ L 303, 2 December 2000, pp. 16–22).</ref>

In 2009, the [[Lisbon Treaty]] gave legal effect to the [[Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union]]. The charter is a codified catalogue of [[fundamental right]]s against which the EU's legal acts can be judged. It consolidates many rights which were previously recognised by the Court of Justice and derived from the "constitutional traditions common to the member states".<ref>Case 11/70, Internationale Handelsgesellschaft v. Einfuhr und Vorratstelle für Getreide und Futtermittel; Article 6(2) of the Maastricht Treaty (as amended).</ref> The Court of Justice has long recognised fundamental rights and has, on occasion, invalidated EU legislation based on its failure to adhere to those fundamental rights.<ref name="europarl-rights">{{Cite web |title=Respect for fundamental rights in the EU – general development |url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/factsheets/2_1_1_en.htm |access-date=6 September 2008 |website=European Parliament Fact Sheets |publisher=The [[European Parliament]]}}</ref>

Signing the [[European Convention on Human Rights]] (ECHR) is a condition for EU membership.<ref group="lower-alpha">And is effectively treated as one of the Copenhagen criteria. [http://assembly.coe.int/Main.asp?link=/Documents/AdoptedText/ta08/ERES1610.htm Assembly.coe.int.] This is a political and not a legal requirement for membership. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080626175941/http://assembly.coe.int/Main.asp?link=%2FDocuments%2FAdoptedText%2Fta08%2FERES1610.htm|date=26 June 2008}}.</ref> Previously, the EU itself could not accede to the convention as it is neither a state<ref group="lower-alpha">{{Cite web |title=Full list - Treaty Office - publi.coe.int |url=https://www.coe.int/en/web/conventions/full-list |access-date=21 December 2022 |website=Treaty Office |language=en-GB}}</ref> nor had the competence to accede.<ref group="lower-alpha">{{Cite web |title=? |url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/FR/ALL/?uri=CELEX%253A61994V0002 |access-date=21 December 2022 |website=EUR-Lex |language=en}}</ref> The Lisbon Treaty and Protocol 14 to the ECHR have changed this: the former binds the EU to accede to the convention while the latter formally permits it.

The EU is independent from the Council of Europe, although they share purpose and ideas, especially on the rule of law, human rights and democracy. Furthermore, the [[European Convention on Human Rights]] and [[European Social Charter]], as well as the [[source of law]] for the [[Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union|Charter of Fundamental Rights]] are created by the Council of Europe. The EU has also promoted human rights issues in the wider world. The EU opposes the death penalty and has proposed its worldwide abolition. Abolition of the death penalty is a condition for EU membership.<ref>{{Cite web |title=EU Policy on Death Penalty |url=http://eeas.europa.eu/human_rights/adp/index_en.htm |access-date=4 June 2013 |website=Europa |publisher=European Union External Action Service}}</ref> On 19 October 2020, the European Union revealed new plans to create a legal structure to act against [[human rights violations]] worldwide. The new plan was expected to provide the European Union with greater flexibility to target and sanction those responsible for serious human rights violations and abuses around the world.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Europe Unveils New Sanctions Plan for Human Rights Violations |url=https://news.bloombergtax.com/international-trade/europe-unveils-new-sanctions-plan-for-human-rights-violations |access-date=19 October 2020 |website=Bloomberg Tax}}</ref>

{{Gallery
| title = Examples of identity, travel and health documents used in the EU
| align = center
| File:Personalausweis Vorderseite (2024).png
 | [[European Union national identity cards|EU national identity card]]<br>{{Small|(German version pictured (2024))}}
| File:Schengen uniform visa format Germany 2018.png
 | [[Visa policy of the Schengen Area|Schengen visa]]<br>{{Small|(German version)}}
| File:Eirepas.JPG
 | A [[Passports of the European Union|passport]], displaying the name of the member state, the national [[coat of arms]] and the words "European Union" given in their official language(s)<br>{{Small|(Irish version pictured)}}
| File:EHIC Slovenia.jpg
 | [[European Health Insurance Card]]<br>{{Small|(Slovenian version pictured)}}
}}

{{Clear}}