European framework  
A total of 989,940 people in the EU in 2022 acquired the citizenship of the country where they live, an increase of about 20 percent (+163,100) over 2021. Most new citizenships (in absolute numbers) were granted by Italy (22 percent of the EU total), followed by Spain (181,581 citizenships, or 18 percent of the EU total) and Germany (166,640 citizenships, 17 percent of the EU total).
The data come from the ISMU Foundation - Initiatives and Studies on Multiethnicity in Milan.
The main countries of origin of new EU citizens are Morocco (112,700 citizenships granted), Syria (90,400) and Albania (50,300).
Half of the new EU citizens are under the age of 31. In 2022, the average age of people who have acquired citizenship in EU countries is 31. The member state where the average age of new citizens is lowest is Greece: here half are under 21. By contrast, the country with the highest average age is Cyprus (42).

Italian picture
In 2022, citizens with migrant backgrounds who acquired Italian citizenship totaled 213,7160, 76 percent more than in 2021, when 121,500 people had become Italian. In 2022 (latest available data), 4.3 percent of residents with non-Italian citizenship (CNI) became Italian compared to an average of 2.6 percent for the European Union.
Italy also recorded the largest increase in citizenships granted to residents with CNI in 2022 compared to 2021: +92,200, compared to +37,600 in Spain and +36,600 in Germany. By contrast, the largest decreases were observed in France (-15,900), the Netherlands (-9,300) and Portugal (-3,700). 
In 2022, mainly people from Albania (38 thousand), Morocco (31 thousand) and Romania (16 thousand) became Italian citizens. These three countries accounted for 40 percent of total acquisitions. In fourth place was Brazil (11 thousand), followed by India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, which together recorded 20 thousand new acquisitions. In relative terms, significant increases over 2021 were noted for Argentinians, Brazilians, Moldavians, and Ukrainians (where citizenship acquisitions more than doubled).
Among those who acquired Italian citizenship in 2022, 26 percent were children aged 0-14. If the 15-19 age group is also considered, it comes to comprise 37 percent of all acquisitions. As for origin, children aged 0-14 who became Italian in 2022 are mainly from Pakistan (44 percent), Bangladesh (42 percent), Egypt (41 percent) and Morocco (39 percent). The lowest percentages are found among Brazilians (5 percent), Argentines (7 percent) and Ukrainians (10 percent).

ISMU Foundation Press Release