Supranational political and economic union The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union of 27 member states that are located primarily in Europe. A supranational union with a total area of 4,233,255 km2 (1,634,469 sq mi) and an estimated population of just under 452 million as of 2026, its member states generated a nominal gross domestic product (GDP) of around €18.802 trillion in 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. Wikipedia's most-read article for 2 days in a row: 1,720,498 views in all, peaking at 1,214,896 on June 24, 2016. Fri, Jun 24: 1,214,896 views Sat, Jun 25: 505,602 views Wiki link