But they were closely followed for the first time by Turkish nationals, who submitted more than 100,000 applications, up 82 percent compared to last year.
The number of Palestinians applying for asylum also jumped to a record high of more than 11,000, two-thirds higher than last year, with most heading for Greece.
Germany recorded more than 330,000 applications, by far the most of any EU member country, followed by France (167,000), Spain (162,000) and Italy (136,000). Cyprus, with a population of around 1.2 million, received 12,000 — the most relative to its population size.
The figures do not include the bulk of Ukrainian citizens displaced by Russia’s full-scale invasion, with about 4.4 million receiving temporary protection status in the EU, a different classification.
The new data is likely to inflame political tensions over migration and the EU’s refugee intake ahead of a bumper election year in Europe, including the European Parliament election in which the far right is forecast to surge across the Continent.
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ELECTION POLL OF POLLS
For more polling data from across Europe visit POLITICO Poll of Polls.