The European Union

The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union of 27 member states that are located primarily in Europe. The supranational union has a total area of 4,233,255 km2 (1,634,469 sq mi), an estimated population of approximately 451 million (2025), and the EU member states generated a nominal gross domestic product (GDP) of around €18.802 trillion (2025), accounting for approximately one sixth of global economic output. The EU is often described as a sui generis political entity combining characteristics of both a federation and a confederation.