These summary metadata refer to the first results on the main demographic developments in the year of reference.  The first results on the main demographic developments in the year of reference (T) contain the total population figure on 31 December of year T (further published by Eurostat as Population on 1 Janaury of year T+1), and total births and total deaths during year. While submitting this data is a legal requirement from EU Member States (EU Regulation No 1260/2013 on European Demographic Statistics, which entered into force on 1 January 2014), countries submit on voluntary basis also data on immigration and emigration that occurred during the course of the year (T). Eurostat's data collection on the above figures is called DEMOBAL and it is carried out in June of each year. Eurostat publishes these first demographic estimates in July of each year in the online database, in the table Demographic balance and crude rates (demo_gind). These first demographic estimates may either be confirmed or updated by the Eurostat demographic data collection taking place in December each year (called Unidemo), whereby countries submit detailed breakdowns (e.g. by age and sex) of their yearly population data, including data on migration, both at national and at regional level. The online table Demographic balance and crude rates (demo-gind) will be accordingly updated. Moreover, this table always includes the latest updates on total population, births and deaths reported by the countries, while the detailed breakdowns by various characteristics included in the rest of the tables of the Eurostat database (Demography domain and Migration, e.g. in the Population by citizenship and by country of birth table) may be transmitted to Eurostat at a subsequent date. Please note that the time series before 2013 available in the online table Demographic balance and crude rates (demo-gind) were collected by Eurostat from the national statistical offices in the past, on voluntary basis. The individual metadata files reported by the countries are also attached.