The Data Proof: Which Eurojackpot Numbers Historically Pay the Most

With all the theory around “birthday numbers” meaning numbers from 1 to 31, you might think: “Surely it cannot be that bad in practice.”

It can. We do not even need to simulate it theoretically. We can simply look at real historical Eurojackpot data to prove which numbers the crowd actually prefers.

What the historical data says

If we look at the mid-level prize tier “4 correct” (4+0), every draw has hundreds of winners. We wrote a script that calculates the historical average payout for each individual drawn number.

The result is unambiguous:

• When mostly numbers between 1 and 31 are drawn: payouts collapse. There are simply too many calendar pickers splitting the pool.
• When high numbers between 32 and 50 are drawn: payouts improve because fewer people had those numbers on their slip.

Which number historically brings in more money?

The tool below sorts the historical average payouts by number. That lets you see, in black and white, which main or Euro numbers in a given prize tier were typically more expensive or less expensive.

Look at the bottom of the table. You will notice that it is dominated by single-digit numbers and classic birthday-style picks with the worst payouts. Math does not lie. If you are going to spend money on the lottery, never mark birthdays. Or better yet, do not play at all. As our data shows, lottery play has a strongly negative expected value and costs money in the long run. Try the Eurojackpot Simulator to see how quickly you would lose your money, with or without birthday numbers.