Romania faces annual population loss of up to 100,000 people

Romanian demographers warn that the country is losing between 80,000 and 100,000 residents each year. Births hover around 150,000 while deaths approach a quarter‑million, producing a natural decrease that has persisted since 1992. The National Institute of Statistics (INS) reported a population of 21.646 million on 1 January 2026, a 0.5 % decline from the previous year, and highlighted an ageing trend with the share of people aged 0‑14 falling by 92,200 and those 65+ rising by 45,100.

INS president Tudorel Andrei noted that economic growth and international migration have helped keep the resident population near 19 million, but the negative natural balance will continue. Experts such as demographer Vasile Ghețău, professor Dumitru Sandu and sociologist Gelu Duminică said no “miracle” solution exists and called for EU funding, justice reforms and better integration of immigrants and minorities.

A regional snapshot from Buzău County shows the depth of the issue: in May 2025 only 101 children were born while 483 people died, and the county’s population has fallen from 430,225 in 1948 to 404,979 in the 2021 census. The INS warned that negative natural growth was recorded in all regions in 2025.