People on the move

People in today’s Europe are constantly on the move. This mobility can be viewed from many angles, as there are many reasons for moving: migration, education, work or tourism… This digital publication People on the move – statistics on mobility in Europe shows the latest figures on these movements in many different ways, with a focus on people and not on goods.

This 2020 edition only describes the situation up to the year 2019 at the most. As a consequence, the first findings of any COVID-19 related implications will only be possible in the next edition of the publication. For information on short-term indicators including COVID-19 related implications, please see our dedicated website section.

The publication is divided into four chapters, each containing four sections:

• European melting pot describes people entering and exiting the EU Member States. This chapter is also devoted to people acquiring citizenship and getting residence permits. To give an overview, data on people living in Europe broken down by nationals, other EU citizens and non-EU citizens are also included.
• Studying and working abroad includes data on people studying abroad including Erasmus graduates. It also contains data on education level and working by citizenship. One section is devoted to crossing borders to go to work and another on commuting between regions.
• Trains, planes and automobiles focuses on how people travel to work and elsewhere – is it by car, train or bus? One part deals with the number and age of cars, while another looks at the number of people travelling by plane, both within and outside Europe, as well as people travelling by boat. The largest passenger airports and ports are also presented.
• Out and about concentrates on tourism. The chapter includes the purpose of trips, where tourists stay, the main destinations and transport means. The number of trips and their duration as well as expenditure on trips are also included.

This digital publication containing short texts, interactive visualisation tools and infographics has been developed by Eurostat.