Ireland is among the easiest European countries to become a citizen, ranking sixth out of 32 countries in Europe and second in Western Europe, just behind the Netherlands.
Sweden is the easiest EU country to gain citizenship, with a high acceptance rate of almost 9.3pc for non-EU residents. It is followed by Norway, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Iceland.
Estonia is the hardest country for non-EU residents to become citizens of, with the lowest average percentage of residents acquiring citizenship at about 0.6pc. Latvia, Czechia, Lithuania, and Austria also have low rates of non-EU residents gaining citizenship.
Women generally have an easier time receiving national status across Europe, with almost every European country granting citizenship to more women than men. Bulgaria and Romania have the largest gender gaps in favor of men, while Finland, Iceland, and Malta have a strong preference for women.
Analysis is based on data from 2009 to 2021, and the rankings may have changed since then.
Research was taken on behalf of Canadian citizenship website, canadacis.org
