Which country attracts the most asylum seekers?

As of August this year, more than 600,000 people have applied for asylum in the European Union, according to data by Eurostat. That number is just shy of the total 662,000 of asylum applications in 2014. Syrian applicants are the largest demographic, accounting for about 20% of all new applications. That’s nearly double the number of people from Kosovo who are seeking asylum, who make up the second largest applicant group.

Germany continues to receive the most applications. With more than 245,000 so far this year, the number of requests dwarfs second-place Hungary, which has received 98,000.

Pew Research has published a chart of the largest asylum populations and the nations they have been applying to in 2015.

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Author: Donald Armbrecht is a freelance writer and social media producer.

Image: Life jackets used by migrants are seen left on two flotsams at the Sicilian harbor of Pozzallo. REUTERS Alessandro Bianchi