MigrantoRomanian Diaspora
4.6M Romanians live abroad — 24% of the population of Romania
Romanian diaspora by country
The top 3 countries are home to 56% of the diaspora
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| Germany | 968697 |
| Italy | 880402 |
| United Kingdom | 713578 |
| Spain | 522578 |
| Hungary | 253045 |
| USA | 178498 |
| Austria | 160281 |
| France | 156668 |
| Belgium | 131417 |
| Israel | 116289 |
| Canada | 88282 |
| Netherlands | 55421 |
| Greece | 50056 |
| Ireland | 47700 |
| Denmark | 40659 |
| Switzerland | 40167 |
| Sweden | 38394 |
| Portugal | 29376 |
| Norway | 16537 |
| Australia | 15735 |
| Turkey | 11400 |
| Czech Republic | 11061 |
| Slovakia | 10613 |
| Luxembourg | 6036 |
| Cyprus | 5707 |
| Bulgaria | 4839 |
| Finland | 4557 |
| Malta | 3556 |
| Moldova | 3545 |
| Iceland | 2529 |
| Japan | 2212 |
| Serbia | 2160 |
| Poland | 1449 |
| Russia | 1359 |
| Uruguay | 939 |
| Venezuela | 785 |
| Libya | 672 |
| Mexico | 655 |
| Slovenia | 501 |
| Chile | 491 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 458 |
| Croatia | 446 |
| South Africa | 425 |
| Peru | 404 |
| Lithuania | 379 |
| Bosnia | 359 |
| Panama | 328 |
| Estonia | 312 |
| Faroe Islands | 271 |
| Georgia | 226 |
| Colombia | 164 |
| San Marino | 153 |
| Costa Rica | 142 |
| Bermuda | 140 |
| Azerbaijan | 114 |
| Bahamas | 114 |
| Montenegro | 103 |
| Bolivia | 88 |
| Latvia | 65 |
| Brazil | 50 |
| Dominican Republic | 47 |
| Cuba | 43 |
| Liechtenstein | 40 |
| Namibia | 32 |
| North Macedonia | 22 |
| Belarus | 21 |
| Greenland | 14 |
| Argentina | 10 |
| Guinea | 3 |
By region
91% of the diaspora lives in Europe
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Key facts
The Romanian diaspora in numbers
The community in the UK is growing fastest
The number of Romanians living in the UK has grown 277% since 2015, from 189.4K to 713.6K.
The map of the diaspora has changed since 1990
7 countries have entered the top 20 since 1990: Spain, Belgium, Netherlands. Spain climbed from outside the top 20 to #4.
1 in 4 people born in Romania lives abroad
4.6M people born in Romania now live in other countries — 24.1% of a population of 19.1M.
The share of the diaspora living in Europe has grown since 1990
67.4% of the diaspora lived in Europe in 1990, compared with 90.7% today.
The diaspora is spread more widely than in 1990
The largest country's share fell from 34% to 21%.
Romanian diaspora population over time
People living abroad, by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 957791 |
| 1995 | 1142520 |
| 2000 | 1226172 |
| 2005 | 1960907 |
| 2010 | 2979844 |
| 2015 | 3535273 |
| 2020 | 4191022 |
| 2024 | 4583819 |
Largest communities over time
Romanians living in the 5 largest countries, by year
| Year | Germany | Italy | United Kingdom | Spain | Hungary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 321795 | 31588 | 3697 | 0 | 194128 |
| 1995 | 443750 | 52946 | 5200 | 15388 | 170168 |
| 2000 | 399018 | 85677 | 7201 | 43435 | 146208 |
| 2005 | 373304 | 386795 | 20888 | 355092 | 179463 |
| 2010 | 440929 | 775003 | 69898 | 730550 | 214330 |
| 2015 | 654819 | 953353 | 189427 | 635020 | 190203 |
| 2020 | 865707 | 947155 | 502169 | 571347 | 214514 |
| 2024 | 968697 | 880402 | 713578 | 522578 | 253045 |
Fastest-changing communities
How the number of Romanians in each country has changed since the selected year
Romanians among immigrants in other countries
Where Romanians make up the largest share of a country's immigrants
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
How many Romanians live outside Romania?
Around 4.6M Romanians live abroad, the world's #14 largest diaspora.
Where do most Romanians abroad live?
Most Romanians live in Germany, Italy and United Kingdom — these three countries account for about 56% of all Romanians living abroad.
Which country has the largest Romanian population outside Romania?
Germany is home to the largest Romanian community abroad — 968.7K people, about 21% of all Romanians living abroad.
What share of the population of Romania lives abroad?
About 24% of the population of Romania lives abroad — that's 4.6M out of a total population of 19.1M.
Is the Romanian diaspora growing?
Yes — over the past decade, the number of Romanians living abroad has grown from 3.5M to 4.6M, about 30%.
Where does the data on the Romanian diaspora come from?
The source is International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division). It counts people born in Romania who now live in other countries. Descendants of emigrants born abroad are not included.
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Living in Romania
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