Romanian diaspora exceeds 5 million people across Europe

Data from the Ministry of Labor indicates that over 5.1 million Romanians are living and working in various European countries. The largest communities are located in the United Kingdom, Spain, and Italy.

In the United Kingdom, approximately 1.02 million Romanians hold legal residency, with over 680,000 having obtained permanent status. Other significant populations reside in Germany, with over 900,000 citizens, and Italy, where the community numbers roughly 1.05 million.

Emigration trends show a significant increase, with nearly 55,000 Romanians leaving the country permanently in 2025, marking the highest number of definitive departures in 34 years. This trend occurs alongside an aging domestic population.

Regarding social benefits, Romanian law allows for certain periods of university, master's, or doctoral studies completed abroad to be recognized for pension calculations, provided specific legal conditions and recognition procedures are met.