Maria Grapini· S&D

Nuanced

Romania loses 1.5 million inhabitants in a decade

Omissions

• The specific decade period is not specified in the claim. The 1.5 million figure is accurate for the decade 2012-2022 according to Eurostat data, but Romania's total population loss since 1990 has been significantly higher (over 3 million)
• The OSW analysis indicates an average annual decline of 130,000 people, which would total approximately 1.3 million over a decade, slightly below the claimed 1.5 million figure
• Romania has experienced continuous population decline due to emigration and negative natural growth since 1990

Sources

• PrimaryEurostat - Demography of Europe 2025 editionThe largest absolute decreases were observed in Romania (−2.5 million) over a longer period
• SecondaryRomania Insider - Eurostat dataRomania has registered the largest absolute population decline in the last decade, with over one million residents, in the EU
• SecondaryOSW Commentary - Thirty years of crisis: Romania's demographic situationDuring this period, Romania's population decreased by an average of 130,000 people per year - the equivalent of a medium-sized Romanian city