These summary metadata refer to the first results on the main demographic developments in the year of reference.

Member States send to Eurostat the first results on the main demographic developments in the year of reference (T), containing the total population figure on 31 December of year T (further published by Eurostat as Population on 1 January of year T+1), total births and total deaths during year T. This data collection is defined under Regulation 1260/2013 on European demographic statistics. Countries may also transmit to Eurostat, on voluntary basis, provisional data on total immigration, emigration and net migration during the year (T).

Eurostat's data collection on the above figures is called DEMOBAL and it is carried out in June of each year. Eurostat publishes these first demographic estimates in July of each year in the online database, in the table Population change - Demographic balance and crude rates (demo_gind) .

These first demographic estimates may either be confirmed or updated by Eurostat's demographic data collection taking place in December each year (called Unidemo), whereby countries submit detailed breakdowns (e.g. by age and sex) of their yearly population data, including data on migration, both at national and at regional level. The online table Population change - Demographic balance and crude rates (demo-gind) will be accordingly updated.