Demographics of Romania
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This article is about the
demographic Demography () is the statistical study of populations, especially human beings. Demographic analysis examines and measures the dimensions and dynamics of populations; it can cover whole societies or groups defined by criteria such as ed ...
features of the
population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction usi ...
of
Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
, including
population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...
,
ethnicity An ethnic group or an ethnicity is a grouping of people who identify with each other on the basis of shared attributes that distinguish them from other groups. Those attributes can include common sets of traditions, ancestry, language, history, ...
, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations, and other aspects of the population. About 88.9% of the people of Romania are ethnic
Romanians The Romanians ( ro, români, ; dated exonym '' Vlachs'') are a Romance-speaking ethnic group. Sharing a common Romanian culture and ancestry, and speaking the Romanian language, they live primarily in Romania and Moldova. The 2011 Romania ...
, whose language,
Romanian Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania ** Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language ***Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language **Romanian cuisine, traditiona ...
, is a Balkan Romance language, descended from
Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...
with some
French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
,
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
,
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...
,
Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
, Slavic, and Hungarian borrowings. Romanians are by far the most numerous group of speakers of an Eastern Romance language today. It has been said that they constitute "an island of Latinity" in
Eastern Europe Eastern Europe is a subregion of the European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russia, whi ...
, surrounded on all sides either by
Slavic peoples Slavs are the largest European ethnolinguistic group. They speak the various Slavic languages, belonging to the larger Balto-Slavic language, Balto-Slavic branch of the Indo-European languages. Slavs are geographically distributed throughout ...
or by the
Hungarians Hungarians, also known as Magyars ( ; hu, magyarok ), are a nation and  ethnic group native to Hungary () and historical Hungarian lands who share a common culture, history, ancestry, and language. The Hungarian language belongs to the ...
. The
Hungarian minority in Romania The Hungarian minority of Romania ( hu, Romániai magyarok; ro, maghiarii din România) is the largest Minorities of Romania, ethnic minority in Romania, consisting of 1,227,623 people and making up 6.1% of the total population, according to ...
constitutes the country's largest minority, 6.1 per cent of the population. With a population of about 19,000,000 people in 2022, Romania received 989,357 Ukrainian refugees on 27 May 2022, according to the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoni ...
(UN). The
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. A ...
that began on 24 February 2022 triggered a major refugee crisis in Europe. In connection with the
Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...
on 24 February 2022, as part of the Russian-Ukrainian war, by 15 May 2022, more than 6,223,821
Ukrainian refugees Ukrainian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Ukraine * Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe * Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine * So ...
left the territory of Ukraine, moving to the countries closest to the west of Ukraine, of which more than 919,574 people fled to neighboring Romania.


Population evolution

Romania's population has declined steadily in recent years, from 21.83 million in 2002 to 19.95 million in 2014. Among the causes of
population decline A population decline (also sometimes called underpopulation, depopulation, or population collapse) in humans is a reduction in a human population size. Over the long term, stretching from prehistory to the present, Earth's total human population ...
are high mortality, a low
fertility rate The total fertility rate (TFR) of a population is the average number of children that would be born to a woman over her lifetime if: # she were to experience the exact current age-specific fertility rates (ASFRs) through her lifetime # she were ...
after 1989, and tremendous
emigration Emigration is the act of leaving a resident country or place of residence with the intent to settle elsewhere (to permanently leave a country). Conversely, immigration describes the movement of people into one country from another (to permanent ...
. In 1990, Romania's population was estimated to be 23.21 million inhabitants. For the entire period 1990–2006, the estimated population loss tops 1.5 million, but it is likely to be higher, given the explosion of migration for work after 2001 and the tendency of some migrants to settle permanently in the countries where they live. Sources give varied estimates for Romania's historical population. The National Institute for Research and Development in Informatics (NIRDI) gives the following numbers (the figure for 2020 was provided by the National Institute of Statistics - INSSE): Colors= id:lightgrey value:gray(0.9) id:darkgrey value:gray(0.7) id:sfondo value:rgb(1,1,1) id:barra value:rgb(0.6,0.7,0.8) ImageSize = width:500 height:250 PlotArea = left:30 bottom:30 top:10 right:10 DateFormat = x.y Period = from:0 till:25 TimeAxis = orientation:vertical AlignBars = justify ScaleMajor = gridcolor:darkgrey increment:5 start:0 ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightgrey increment:1 start:0 BackgroundColors = canvas:sfondo BarData= bar:1866 text:1866 bar:1887 text:1887 bar:1899 text:1899 bar:1912 text:1912 bar:1930 text:1930 bar:1939 text:1939 bar:1941 text:1941 bar:1948 text:1948 bar:1956 text:1956 bar:1966 text:1966 bar:1977 text:1977 bar:1990 text:1990 bar:1992 text:1992 bar:2002 text:2002 bar:2005 text:2005 bar:2009 text:2009 bar:2011 text:2011 bar:2014 text:2014 bar:2020 text:2020 PlotData= color:barra width:20 align:left bar:1866 from:0 till: 4.4 bar:1887 from:0 till: 5.5 bar:1899 from:0 till: 5.9 bar:1912 from:0 till: 7.2 bar:1930 from:0 till: 18 bar:1939 from:0 till: 19.9 bar:1941 from:0 till: 13.5 bar:1948 from:0 till: 15.8 bar:1956 from:0 till: 17.4 bar:1966 from:0 till: 19.1 bar:1977 from:0 till: 21.5 bar:1990 from:0 till: 23.2 bar:1992 from:0 till: 22.8 bar:2002 from:0 till: 21.6 bar:2005 from:0 till: 21.6 bar:2009 from:0 till: 21.4 bar:2011 from:0 till: 20.1 bar:2014 from:0 till: 19.9 bar:2020 from:0 till: 19.2 PlotData= bar:1866 at: 4.4 fontsize:S text: 4.4 shift:(-7,5) bar:1887 at: 5.5 fontsize:S text: 5.5 shift:(-15,5) bar:1899 at: 5.9 fontsize:S text: 5.9 shift:(-15,5) bar:1912 at: 7.2 fontsize:S text: 7.2 shift:(-15,5) bar:1930 at: 18 fontsize:S text: 18 shift:(-15,5) bar:1939 at: 19.9 fontsize:S text: 19.9 shift:(-15,5) bar:1941 at: 13.5 fontsize:S text: 13.5 shift:(-15,5) bar:1948 at: 15.8 fontsize:S text: 15.8 shift:(-15,5) bar:1956 at: 17.4 fontsize:S text: 17.4 shift:(-15,5) bar:1966 at: 19.1 fontsize:S text: 19.1 shift:(-15,5) bar:1977 at: 21.5 fontsize:S text: 21.5 shift:(-15,5) bar:1990 at: 23.2 fontsize:S text: 23.2 shift:(-15,5) bar:1992 at: 22.8 fontsize:S text: 22.8 shift:(-15,5) bar:2002 at: 21.6 fontsize:S text: 21.6 shift:(-15,5) bar:2005 at: 21.6 fontsize:S text: 21.6 shift:(-15,5) bar:2009 at: 21.4 fontsize:S text: 21.4 shift:(-15,5) bar:2011 at: 20.1 fontsize:S text: 20.1 shift:(-15,5) bar:2014 at: 19.9 fontsize:S text: 19.9 shift:(-15,5) bar:2020 at: 19.2 fontsize:S text: 19.2 shift:(-15,5) TextData= fontsize:S pos:(20,20) text:Population evolution (in millions)


Ethnic groups

Slightly more than 10% of the population of Romania is formed of
minorities of Romania About 10.5% of Romania's population is represented by minorities (the rest of 89.5% being Romanians). The principal minorities in Romania are Hungarians ( Szeklers, Csangos, and Magyars; especially in Harghita, Covasna, and Mureș countie ...
. The principal minorities are Hungarians and Roma, although other smaller ethnic groups exist too. Before
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, minorities represented more than 28% of the total population. During the war that percentage was halved, largely by the loss of the border areas of
Bessarabia Bessarabia (; Gagauz: ''Besarabiya''; Romanian: ''Basarabia''; Ukrainian: ''Бессара́бія'') is a historical region in Eastern Europe, bounded by the Dniester river on the east and the Prut river on the west. About two thirds o ...
and northern
Bukovina Bukovinagerman: Bukowina or ; hu, Bukovina; pl, Bukowina; ro, Bucovina; uk, Буковина, ; see also other languages. is a historical region, variously described as part of either Central or Eastern Europe (or both).Klaus Peter Berge ...
(to the former
Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...
, now
Moldova Moldova ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Republica Moldova), is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The unrecognised state of Transnistri ...
and
Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inva ...
) and southern
Dobrudja Dobruja or Dobrudja (; bg, Добруджа, Dobrudzha or ''Dobrudža''; ro, Dobrogea, or ; tr, Dobruca) is a historical region in the Balkans that has been divided since the 19th century between the territories of Bulgaria and Romania. I ...
(to
Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...
). Two-thirds of the ethnic German population either left or were deported after World War II, a period that was followed by decades of relatively regular (by communist standards) migration. During the interwar period in Romania, the total number of ethnic Germans amounted to as much as 786,000 (according to some sources and estimates dating to 1939), a figure which had subsequently fallen to circa 36,000 as of 2011 in contemporary Romania. One of the reasons for which the number of Germans in Romania fell is because after the
Romanian Revolution The Romanian Revolution ( ro, Revoluția Română), also known as the Christmas Revolution ( ro, Revoluția de Crăciun), was a period of violent civil unrest in Romania during December 1989 as a part of the Revolutions of 1989 that occurred ...
there has been a mass migration of Transylvania Saxons to Germany, in what was referred by British daily newspaper ''
Guardian Guardian usually refers to: * Legal guardian, a person with the authority and duty to care for the interests of another * ''The Guardian'', a British daily newspaper (The) Guardian(s) may also refer to: Places * Guardian, West Virginia, Unit ...
'' to as 'the most astonishing, and little reported, ethnic migration in modern Europe'. Of a total population of three quarter million
Jews Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
before World War II, about a third were killed during the
Holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; ...
. Mass emigration, mostly to
Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
and
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
, has reduced the surviving Jewish community to less than 6,000 in 2002 (it is estimated that the real numbers could be 3-4 times higher).
Hungarians Hungarians, also known as Magyars ( ; hu, magyarok ), are a nation and  ethnic group native to Hungary () and historical Hungarian lands who share a common culture, history, ancestry, and language. The Hungarian language belongs to the ...
(Magyars; ''see
Hungarians in Romania The Hungarian minority of Romania ( hu, Romániai magyarok; ro, maghiarii din România) is the largest ethnic minority in Romania, consisting of 1,227,623 people and making up 6.1% of the total population, according to the 2011 Romanian cens ...
'', especially in
Harghita Harghita (, hu, Hargita megye, ) is a county (județ) in the center of Romania, in eastern Transylvania, with the county seat at Miercurea Ciuc. Demographics 2002 census In 2002, Harghita County had a population of 326,222 and a population ...
,
Covasna Covasna (, hu, Kovászna, , german: Kowasna) is a town in Covasna County, Transylvania, Romania, at an altitude of . It is known for its natural mineral waters and mofettas. The town administers one village, Chiuruș ( hu, Csomakőrös). The v ...
, and Mureș counties) and
Romani Romani may refer to: Ethnicities * Romani people, an ethnic group of Northern Indian origin, living dispersed in Europe, the Americas and Asia ** Romani genocide, under Nazi rule * Romani language, any of several Indo-Aryan languages of the Roma ...
(Roma; ''see
Romani people in Romania Romani people (Roma; Romi, traditionally '' Țigani'', (often called "Gypsies" though this term is considered a slur) constitute one of Romania's largest minorities. According to the 2011 census, their number was 621.573 people or 3.3% of the ...
'') are the principal minorities, with a declining
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...
population (
Banat Swabians The Banat Swabians are an ethnic German population in the former Kingdom of Hungary in Central-Southeast Europe, part of the Danube Swabians. They emigrated in the 18th century to what was then the Austrian Empire's Banat of Temeswar province, ...
in Timiș;
Transylvanian Saxons The Transylvanian Saxons (german: Siebenbürger Sachsen; Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjer Såksen''; ro, Sași ardeleni, sași transilvăneni/transilvani; hu, Erdélyi szászok) are a people of German ethnicity who settled in Transylvania ( ...
in
Sibiu Sibiu ( , , german: link=no, Hermannstadt , la, Cibinium, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Härmeschtat'', hu, Nagyszeben ) is a city in Romania, in the historical region of Transylvania. Located some north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles the Ci ...
,
Brașov Brașov (, , ; german: Kronstadt; hu, Brassó; la, Corona; Transylvanian Saxon: ''Kruhnen'') is a city in Transylvania, Romania and the administrative centre of Brașov County. According to the latest Romanian census (2011), Brașov has a pop ...
and elsewhere), and smaller numbers of
Czechs The Czechs ( cs, Češi, ; singular Czech, masculine: ''Čech'' , singular feminine: ''Češka'' ), or the Czech people (), are a West Slavic ethnic group and a nation native to the Czech Republic in Central Europe, who share a common ancestry, ...
,
Slovaks The Slovaks ( sk, Slováci, singular: ''Slovák'', feminine: ''Slovenka'', plural: ''Slovenky'') are a West Slavic ethnic group and nation native to Slovakia who share a common ancestry, culture, history and speak Slovak. In Slovakia, 4.4 mi ...
,
Serbs The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian Cultural heritage, ancestry, Culture of Serbia, culture, History of ...
,
Croats The Croats (; hr, Hrvati ) are a South Slavic ethnic group who share a common Croatian ancestry, culture, history and language. They are also a recognized minority in a number of neighboring countries, namely Austria, the Czech Republic ...
, and
Banat Bulgarians The Banat Bulgarians ( Banat Bulgarian: ''Palćene'' or ''Banátsći balgare''; common bg, Банатски българи, Banatski balgari; ro, Bulgari bănățeni; sr, / ), also known as Bulgarian Roman Catholics and Bulgarians Paulician ...
(in
Banat Banat (, ; hu, Bánság; sr, Банат, Banat) is a geographical and historical region that straddles Central and Eastern Europe and which is currently divided among three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania (the counties of ...
),
Ukrainians Ukrainians ( uk, Українці, Ukraintsi, ) are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine. They are the seventh-largest nation in Europe. The native language of the Ukrainians is Ukrainian. The majority of Ukrainians are Eastern Ort ...
(especially in
Maramureș or Marmaroshchyna ( ro, Maramureș ; uk, Мармарощина, Marmaroshchyna; hu, Máramaros) is a geographical, historical and cultural region in northern Romania and western Ukraine. It is situated in the northeastern Carpathians, alon ...
and
Bukovina Bukovinagerman: Bukowina or ; hu, Bukovina; pl, Bukowina; ro, Bucovina; uk, Буковина, ; see also other languages. is a historical region, variously described as part of either Central or Eastern Europe (or both).Klaus Peter Berge ...
),
Greeks of Romania Greeks are a historic minority group in Romania. At times, as during the Phanariote era, this presence has amounted to hegemony; at other times (including the present), the Greeks have simply been one among the many ethnic minorities in Romania. H ...
(especially in
Brăila Brăila (, also , ) is a city in Muntenia, eastern Romania, a port on the Danube and the capital of Brăila County. The Sud-Est (development region), ''Sud-Est'' Regional Development Agency is located in Brăila. According to the 2011 Romanian ...
and
Constanța Constanța (, ; ; rup, Custantsa; bg, Кюстенджа, Kyustendzha, or bg, Констанца, Konstantsa, label=none; el, Κωνστάντζα, Kōnstántza, or el, Κωνστάντια, Kōnstántia, label=none; tr, Köstence), histo ...
), Turks and
Tatars The Tatars ()Tatar
in the Collins English Dictionary
is an umbrella term for different Turki ...
(mainly in
Constanța Constanța (, ; ; rup, Custantsa; bg, Кюстенджа, Kyustendzha, or bg, Констанца, Konstantsa, label=none; el, Κωνστάντζα, Kōnstántza, or el, Κωνστάντια, Kōnstántia, label=none; tr, Köstence), histo ...
),
Armenians Armenians ( hy, հայեր, ''hayer'' ) are an ethnic group native to the Armenian highlands of Western Asia. Armenians constitute the main population of Armenia and the ''de facto'' independent Artsakh. There is a wide-ranging diaspora ...
,
Russians , native_name_lang = ru , image = , caption = , population = , popplace = 118 million Russians in the Russian Federation (2002 '' Winkler Prins'' estimate) , region1 = , pop1 ...
( Lipovans,
Old Believers Old Believers or Old Ritualists, ''starovery'' or ''staroobryadtsy'' are Eastern Orthodox Christians who maintain the liturgical and ritual practices of the Russian Orthodox Church as they were before the reforms of Patriarch Nikon of Moscow b ...
in
Tulcea Tulcea (; also known by other alternative names) is a city in Northern Dobruja, Romania. It is the administrative center of Tulcea County, and had a population of 73,707 . One village, Tudor Vladimirescu, is administered by the city. Names The ...
),
Jews Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
and others. Since the
Romanian Revolution of 1989 The Romanian Revolution ( ro, Revoluția Română), also known as the Christmas Revolution ( ro, Revoluția de Crăciun), was a period of violent civil unrest in Romania during December 1989 as a part of the Revolutions of 1989 that occurred ...
, Bucharest and other cities have again become increasingly cosmopolitan, including identifiable presences from outside the EU ( Chinese, Turks, Moldovans, Syrians, Iraqis,
Africans African or Africans may refer to: * Anything from or pertaining to the continent of Africa: ** People who are native to Africa, descendants of natives of Africa, or individuals who trace their ancestry to indigenous inhabitants of Africa *** Ethn ...
) as well as from the EU (French, Italians, Germans, British, Greeks). In Romania, there are also guest workers from countries such as Vietnam and Nepal. Minority populations are greatest in
Transylvania Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the A ...
and the
Banat Banat (, ; hu, Bánság; sr, Банат, Banat) is a geographical and historical region that straddles Central and Eastern Europe and which is currently divided among three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania (the counties of ...
, areas in the north and west of the country, which were part of the
Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the Coronation of the Hungarian monarch, c ...
(after 1867 the
Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
) until the end of
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
. Even before the union with Romania, ethnic Romanians comprised the overall majority in Transylvania. However, ethnic Hungarians and Germans were the dominant urban population until relatively recently, while Hungarians still constitute the majority in Harghita and Covasna counties. Romani people constitute one of Romania's largest minorities. According to the
2011 Romanian census The 2011 Romanian census was a census held in Romania between 20 and 31 October 2011. It was performed by some 120,000 census takers in around 101,000 statistic sectors throughout the country established by the National Institute of Statistics (IN ...
, they number 621,573 people or 3.08% of the total population, being the second-largest ethnic minority in Romania after Hungarians, with significant populations in Mureș (8.9%) and Călărași (7,47%) counties. There are different estimates about the size of the total population of people with Romani ancestry in Romania because a lot of people of Romani descent do not declare themselves Romani. The number of Romani people is usually underestimated in official statistics and may represent 5–11% of Romania's population. After Hungarians and Romani, Ukrainians of Romania are the third-largest minority. According to the 2011 Romanian census they number 51,703 people, making up 0.3% of the total population."Comunicat de presă privind rezultatele provizorii ale Recensământului Populației și Locuințelor – 2011"
, at the 2011 census site; accessed February 2, 2012.
Ukrainians mainly live in northern Romania, in areas close to the Ukrainian border. Over 60% of all Romanian Ukrainians live in
Maramureș County Maramureș County () is a county (județ) in Romania, in the Maramureș region. The county seat is Baia Mare. Name In Hungarian it is known as ''Máramaros megye'', in Ukrainian as Мараморо́щина, in German as ''Kreis Marmarosch' ...
(where they make up 6.77% of the population).


Origins


Vital statistics


Total Fertility Rate from 1850 to 1899

The
total fertility rate The total fertility rate (TFR) of a population is the average number of children that would be born to a woman over her lifetime if: # she were to experience the exact current age-specific fertility rates (ASFRs) through her lifetime # she were t ...
is the number of children born per woman. It is based on fairly good data for the entire period. Sources:
Our World In Data Our World in Data (OWID) is a scientific online publication that focuses on large global problems such as poverty, disease, hunger, climate change, war, existential risks, and inequality. It is a project of the Global Change Data Lab, a re ...
and
Gapminder Foundation Gapminder Foundation is a non-profit venture registered in Stockholm, Sweden, that promotes sustainable global development and achievement of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were eigh ...
.


Before WWI


Between WWI and WWII


After WWII

Main sources: Source: National Institute of Statistics Note: The 2011 Romanian Census gave a figure of 20,121,641.


Current vital statistics

The current vital statistics of Romania are as follows:


Life expectancy 1950–2020

Average
life expectancy Life expectancy is a statistical measure of the average time an organism is expected to live, based on the year of its birth, current age, and other demographic factors like sex. The most commonly used measure is life expectancy at birth ...
at age 0 of the total population.


Birth rates by counties

Romania has 41 counties and one city with a special status, namely
Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north o ...
. Ilfov County has the highest crude birth rate (12.0‰), while
Vâlcea County Vâlcea County (also spelt ''Vîlcea''; ) is a county (județ) of Romania. Located in the historical regions of Oltenia and Muntenia (which are separated by the Olt River), it is also part of the wider Wallachia region. Its capital city is Râ ...
has the lowest crude birth rate (6.6‰). Birth rates are generally higher in rural areas compared to urban areas.


Demographics statistics

Demographic statistics according to the World Population Review in 2019. *One birth every 3 minutes *One death every 2 minutes *Net loss of one person every 5 minutes *One net migrant every 19 minutes The following demographic statistics are from the
CIA World Factbook ''The World Factbook'', also known as the ''CIA World Factbook'', is a reference resource produced by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) with almanac-style information about the countries of the world. The official print version is available ...
, unless otherwise indicated.


Population

:19 000 000 (January 2023 est.)


Median age

:total: 41.6 years. Country comparison to the world: 38th :male: 40.2 years :female: 43 years (2018 est.)


Birth rate

:8.7 births/1,000 population (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 211st


Death rate

:12 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 17th


Total fertility rate

:1.71 children born/woman (2017) Country comparison to the world: 154th


Net migration rate

:-0.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 113rd :-0.13 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)


Mother's mean age at first birth

:26.7 years (2014 est.)


Population growth rate

:-0.35% (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 219th :-0.127% (2007 estimate).


Urban-rural ratio

Romania is one of the least urbanised countries in Europe. Just a slight majority, 56.4 percent, lives in urban areas (12,546,212 people in total). The remainder, 43.6 percent, lives in rural areas (9,695,506 people in total). :urban population: 54% of total population (2018) :rate of urbanization: -0.38% annual rate of change (2015–20 est.)


Sex ratio

;''at birth:'':1.06 male(s)/female ;''under 15 years:'':1.05 male(s)/female ;''15–64 years:'':0.99 male(s)/female ;''65 years and over:'':0.71 male(s)/female ;''total population:'':0.95 male(s)/female (2008 est.)


Infant mortality rate

9.2 deaths/1,000 live births (May 2010);Populatia Romaniei, in continua scadere
July 12, 2010, Wall-street.ro, Accessed online on August 2, 2012
down from 17.3 deaths/1,000 live births in 2002.


Life expectancy at birth

*total population: 75.6 years (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 106th **male: 72.1 years (2018 est.) **female: 79.2 years (2018 est.) *''Total population:'' 75 years **''male:'' 71.4 years **''female:'' 78.8 years (2015 est.)


Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write (2015 est.) :total population: 98.8% :male: 99.1% :female: 98.5% (2015 est.)


School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

:total: 14 years :male: 14 years :female: 15 years (2016)


Unemployment, youth ages 15–24

:total: 20.6%. Country comparison to the world: 62nd :male: 19.9% :female: 21.8% (2016 est.)


Nationality

The noun form is Romanian(s), and the adjectival form is Romanian.


Age structure

:''0–14 years:'' 14.31% (male 1,576,621 /female 1,493,082) :''15–24 years:'' 10.45% (male 1,151,312 /female 1,091,956) :''25–54 years:'' 46.11% (male 5,010,272 /female 4,883,090) :''55–64 years:'' 12.37% (male 1,244,669 /female 1,409,854) :''65 years and over:'' 16.76% (male 1,454,320 /female 2,141,940) (2018 est.) The following demographic statistics are from National Institute of Statistic on 1 July 2016. *''0–14 years:'' 14.7% (male 1,678,542/female 1,586,709) *''15–64 years:'' 69.5% (male 7,744,863/female 7,687,078) *''65 years and over:'' 15.8% (male 1,420,144/female 2,097,659) (2016 est.) As a consequence of the pro-natalist policies of the
Nicolae Ceaușescu Nicolae Ceaușescu ( , ;  – 25 December 1989) was a Romanian communist politician and dictator. He was the general secretary of the Romanian Communist Party from 1965 to 1989, and the second and last Communist leader of Romania. He ...
regime (see Decree 770), Romania has a higher proportion of people born in the late 1960s and 1970s its population than any other Western country except
Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, and ...
. The generations born in 1967 and 1968 were the largest, although fertility remained relatively high until 1990. 8.55% of the Romanian population was born in the period from 1976 to 1980, compared with 6.82% of
American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...
s and 6.33% of
Britons British people or Britons, also known colloquially as Brits, are the citizens of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the British Overseas Territories, and the Crown dependencies.: British nationality law governs mod ...
.


Age structure by ethnicity

Population by ethnicity based on age groups, according to the 2011 census:


Immigration

Foreign-born population (according to
Eurostat Eurostat ('European Statistical Office'; DG ESTAT) is a Directorate-General of the European Commission located in the Kirchberg, Luxembourg, Kirchberg quarter of Luxembourg City, Luxembourg. Eurostat's main responsibilities are to provide stati ...
):


Religion

*
Romanian Orthodox The Romanian Orthodox Church (ROC; ro, Biserica Ortodoxă Română, ), or Patriarchate of Romania, is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox Christian churches, and one of the nine patriarchates ...
— 86.7% *
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
— 4.7% *
Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
Churches (Calvin, Lutheran, Unitarian, Pentecostal, Baptist, Adventist) — 5.3% * Greek Catholic - Uniate — 0.9% *
Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...
— 0.3% *
Atheist Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...
— ≈0.04% (9,271 people) * No religion — 0.1% * Other religions — 2.0% * Refused to declare — 0.1% Religious affiliation tends to follow ethnic lines, with most ethnic Romanians identifying with the
Romanian Orthodox Church The Romanian Orthodox Church (ROC; ro, Biserica Ortodoxă Română, ), or Patriarchate of Romania, is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox Christian churches, and one of the nine patriarchates ...
. The Greek Catholic or
Uniate church The Eastern Catholic Churches or Oriental Catholic Churches, also called the Eastern-Rite Catholic Churches, Eastern Rite Catholicism, or simply the Eastern Churches, are 23 Eastern Christian autonomous ('' sui iuris'') particular churches of ...
, reunified with the Orthodox Church by fiat in 1948, was restored after the 1989 revolution. The 2002 census indicates that 0.9% of the population is
Greek Catholic The term Greek Catholic Church can refer to a number of Eastern Catholic Churches following the Byzantine (Greek) liturgy, considered collectively or individually. The terms Greek Catholic, Greek Catholic church or Byzantine Catholic, Byzantine C ...
, as opposed to about 10% prior to 1948.
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
s, largely ethnic Hungarians and Germans, constitute 4.7% of the population; Calvinists, Baptists (see
Baptist Union of Romania The Union of Christian Baptist Churches in Romania ( ro, Uniunea Bisericilor Creștin Baptiste din România) is a Baptist Christian denomination in Romania. It is affiliated with the Romanian Evangelical Alliance and the Baptist World Alliance. ...
and
Convention of the Hungarian Baptist Churches of Romania The Convention of the Hungarian Baptist Churches of Romania ( hu, Romániai Magyar Baptista Gyülekezetek Szövetsége; ro, Convenţia Bisericilor Creştine Baptiste Maghiare) is an organization of ethnic Hungarian Baptists in Romania within t ...
), Pentecostals, and Lutherans make up another 5%. There are smaller numbers of Unitarians, Muslims, and other religions.


See also

* Ageing of Europe *
Population exchange between Bulgaria and Romania The population exchange between Bulgaria and Romania was a population exchange carried out in 1940 after the transfer of Southern Dobruja to Bulgaria by Romania. It involved 103,711 Romanians, Aromanians and Megleno-Romanians living in Southern ...
*
Immigration to Romania Immigration to Romania is less common than immigration to most other European Union countries, with Romania having 2.1% of the population foreign born as of 2017 (Eurostat estimates). Of these, 0.9% were born in other EU member states, and 1.2% we ...


Notes


References


External links


United Nations Statistics - Romania

Romanian National Statistic Institute
(site is in
Romanian language Romanian (obsolete spellings: Rumanian or Roumanian; autonym: ''limba română'' , or ''românește'', ) is the official and main language of Romania and the Republic of Moldova. As a minority language it is spoken by stable communities in ...
, PDF files are in Romanian and English)
Population density map
{{Authority control