Romanian diaspora in Europe tops one million, led by the United Kingdom
Romanian nationals living and working across Europe number over one million, with the United Kingdom hosting the largest community, followed by Spain and Italy.
According to Ministry of Labour figures, Romanian citizens living abroad exceed one million, concentrated mainly in the United Kingdom, Spain and Italy. In the UK, about 1.02 million Romanians have legal residence, 684,380 of whom hold settled status and roughly 100,000 have acquired British citizenship. Spain records over 600,000 Romanian residents and more than 300,000 contributors to its social security system, while Italy lists just over one million Romanian residents, many employed in services, construction and agriculture.
The Ministry also reports that tens of thousands of Romanians permanently left the country in 2025, the highest annual outflow in three decades, and that around 39,000 returned between April 2025 and March 2026, primarily from the UK. Temporary migration continues to dominate, with large numbers seeking higher-paid jobs abroad.
Why it matters
The scale of Romanian migration affects labour markets, remittances and demographic trends in both Romania and host countries.
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