Romania ranks first in EU in terms of citizens living in another member state

Around 3.1 million Romanians lived outside the country in 2024, making Romania first among European Union countries in terms of the number of its citizens living abroad, in another EU member state, according to an infographic presented by the European Parliament.

Roughly 16% of Romanians lived abroad last year, most in Italy (1.07 million), Germany (776,000), and Spain (620,000).

Romania also topped the same list in 2024, showing high degrees of mobility.

Other countries from central and southeastern Europe, like Croatia, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Hungary, and Poland, also have high numbers of citizens living in another EU state.

In contrast, the lowest migration rates relative to the country’s population are in Germany and France. Less than 1% of French and German citizens left their country for another EU state. Similarly low percentages are in Spain, Austria, and Italy. Around 1% of Czechs also live in another EU state.

“The number of Romanians returning to the country is likely increasing, but based on the principle of ‘wait and see.’ In the absence of significant steps to reduce corruption, despite the empty houses built with money from migration in Romania,” people are not likely to return in the millions, said sociologist Dumitru Sandu, cited by Ziarul Financiar.

On the other hand, according to him, improved living standards, healthcare, institutional organization, and higher salaries would lead to a reduction in the number of Romanians going abroad.

“Even after the economic crisis of 2009–2013, after the pandemic, Romania remains at the top of the list with the highest absolute number and highest proportion of citizens abroad. If almost 16% of your population with their official residence in Romania is living abroad, you can’t afford to ignore it. We have the most significant diaspora among the European Union countries,” Sandu added.

(Photo source: Iakov Kalinin | Dreamstime.com)