INS: migration has stabilised Romania's population at 19 million, but natural growth remains negative

The President of the National Institute of Statistics (INS), Tudorel Andrei, stated on Friday that international migration has managed to stabilise Romania's resident population at approximately 19 million inhabitants, despite the natural growth rate remaining negative, with an annual decline of 70,000–100,000 people.

According to him, the economic growth of recent years has attracted workers from other countries, particularly from Asia, and has prompted increasing numbers of Romanians to return home, thereby offsetting the natural population decline.

"Economic growth is what directly drives the evolution of the resident population across both components — through the number of children born, through natural growth, but above all through international migration. (...) It is no coincidence that, in recent years, the resident population has been stabilised at 19 million solely through international migration," said Tudorel Andrei, at the event "Population in Figures, the Future in Perspective – World Population Day and 167 Years of Official Statistics in Romania".

Projections had forecast 18 million inhabitants by 2030

The head of the INS explained that international institutions had estimated Romania would reach approximately 18 million inhabitants around 2030, but that international migration has slowed the pace of demographic decline. Nevertheless, the negative natural growth rate will continue to affect the population, and reversing this trend is difficult to achieve in the short to medium term.

Tudorel Andrei drew attention to comparisons with 1989, when Romania's population stood at 23 million: "We are very often alarmed that Romania's population has fallen dramatically compared to 1989. We are measuring ourselves against 23 million, a figure reached under a regime in which having children was compulsory. After 1989, it is the freedom of each person, each couple, to decide what to do. (...) The real issue is not that we have declined so sharply — we have fallen by four million compared to 1989 — but rather the major imbalances that have emerged across the three broad age groups: under 15, between 15 and 65, and over 65," he explained.

Regional imbalances: some counties have fewer inhabitants than in 1948

The President of the INS noted that demographic imbalances are not confined to the national level but are also evident at a regional level: "There is an imbalance at the regional level, and there are counties with a smaller population than in 1948."

The phenomenon of demographic ageing is intensifying, and the average age of Romania's population has reached 42, in line with trends seen in other European Union member states.

Regarding children born abroad to Romanian parents, Tudorel Andrei clarified: "Between 2014 and 2025, almost two million children were born in Romania, whilst approximately 390,000 children were born abroad and registered in Romania."

Figures from INS projections

• The resident population could reach 15.633 million people by 2080, down from 19.043 million on 1 January 2025.
• Compared with the beginning of 2024, the population aged between 0 and 14 has decreased by 92,200 people.
• Children and adolescents currently account for 15.4% of Romania's resident population.