[2] It is native to grassland and similar habitats in a large part of Eurasia, extending from Belgium to the Altai Mountains and Yenisey River in Russia.

The gestation period is 18–20 days and the size of the litter ranges from three to 15 young, which are weaned when aged three weeks.

It is typically found in low-lying farmland with soft loam or loess soils, although it may also inhabit meadows, gardens or hedges.

[11] The government would be subject to fines of up to $24.6 million if France did not adjust its agricultural and urbanisation policies sufficiently to protect it.

[12][needs update] By 2014, France had started a captive-breeding programme, which aimed to release 500 European hamsters each year into fields that farmers were paid not to harvest.

[13] In 2020, the European hamster was classified as critically endangered across its global range on the IUCN Red List.

It has been linked especially to habitat loss due to intensive agricultural practices and the building of roads that fragment populations, and to climate change, the historical fur trapping and to pollution; even light pollution appears to significantly reduce local populations, unless counterbalanced by other factors.