EU population breaks 500 million mark. 
EU figures show 501.1 million citizens in 2010 compared with 409.7 in 2009. Immigration accounted for 60% of the increase whilst the birthrate decreased marginally with 5.4 million births in 2009. 

On 1 January 20101, the population of the EU27 was estimated at 501.1 million, compared with 499.7 million on 1 January 2009. The population of the EU27 grew by 1.4 million in 2009, an annual rate of 2.7 per 1000 inhabitants, due to a natural increase of 0.5 million (+1.0‰) and net migration of 0.9 million (+1.7‰).
Compared with 2008, the demographic situation in 2009 in the EU27 is characterised by a slight decrease in the crude birth rate and a constant crude death rate, while net migration fell more significantly.
The population of the euro area (EA16) was estimated at 329.5 million on 1 January 2010, compared with 328.6 million on 1 January 2009. The population of the euro area grew by 0.9 million in 2009, an annual rate of +2.7‰, due to a natural increase of 0.3 million (+1.0‰) and net migration of 0.6 million (+1.8‰).
These figures come from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.