Spain

Spain leads Western Europe in population growth, reaching 49.3 million across 505,992 square kilometers, with a year-over-year increase of 0.4%—outpacing Italy's decline by 0.7 percentage points. However, the fertility rate of 1.3 children per woman is 0.2 higher than Italy's but still 0.2 below the EU average, while separatist tensions in Catalonia simmer despite the demographic boost.