Germany

Germany packs 83.5 million people into only 357,000 square kilometers, making it Europe's most densely populated major nation at 234 people per square kilometer—more than 27 times Russia's density. As the EU's economic engine, its GDP of €4.3 trillion outperforms #3 United Kingdom by 35%. Yet infrastructure strains show: housing costs rose 8% in 2023, outpacing the region's 4% average, while its labor force shrank by 1.2%.