Romanians in Spain

Romanian emigrant community in Spain

Ethnic group

Romanians in SpainTotal population

535,935 Born in Romania (INE 2022)[1][2][3]

630,795 Romanian citizens (INE 2023)[4]

1,079,726 (includes naturalized and second and third generation Romanians) (2022)[5]
Languages
Romanian, Spanish
Religion
Predominantly: Romanian Orthodox;
also: Greek Catholic, Roman Catholic
Related ethnic groups
Romanian Britons, Romanian Italians, Romanian Germans, Romanian Australians, Romanian Americans, Romanian Canadians, Romanian French people

* * *

Part of a series of articles on

Romanians

Native communities

* Romania
* Moldova
* Ukraine (Chernivtsi Oblast)
* Serbia

Diaspora

Europe

* Italy
* Spain
* Germany
* France
* United Kingdom

North America

* United States
* Canada

South America

* Argentina
* Venezuela

Oceania

* Australia

Culture

* Religion
* Literature
* Music
* Cinema
* Architecture
* Sport
* Cuisine
* Dress
* Symbols
* Cultural Heritage sites

History

* History of Romania
* Origins

Language

* Romanian
* Moldovan Romanian
* Romance

* v
* t
* e

Romanians form the second largest group of foreigners in Spain, after Moroccans.[6] As of 2023[update], there were 630,795 Romanian citizens living in Spain.[7] Most of the immigration took place given economic reasons. The linguistic similarities between Romanian and Spanish, as well as Romanians' Latin identity, are also a reason for the country's attractiveness to Romanians.[8]

## Background

[edit]

After the December, 1989 Romanian Revolution, emigration was liberalized, but for the next few years, emigration to Spain was modest. It started to increase slowly during the late 1990s, and exploded after 2002. Emigration was further facilitated by the entry of Romania in the EU in 2007. By 2011, it reached a peak of nearly 900,000 people, after which the Romanian population has been steadily decreasing as a result of emigration from Spain since 2012 due to the economic problems and unemployment in the country, falling to 623,097 by 2022.[9] Because of this, the diaspora in Italy, which has continued to increase, is now considerably larger than that in Spain.

## Population

[edit]

Historical populationYear| Pop.| ±%

|
|

1998 | 2,258| —
1999 | 3,147| +39.4%
2000 | 6,410| +103.7%
2001 | 31,641| +393.6%
2002 | 67,279| +112.6%
2003 | 137,347| +104.1%
2004 | 207,960| +51.4%
2005 | 317,366| +52.6%
2006 | 407,159| +28.3%
2007 | 527,019| +29.4%
2008 | 731,806| +38.9%
2009 | 798,892| +9.2%
2010 | 831,235| +4.0%
2011 | 865,707| +4.1%
2012 | 897,203| +3.6%
2013 | 870,258| −3.0%
2014 | 797,054| −8.4%
2015 | 752,268| −5.6%
2016 | 717,462| −4.6%
2017 | 687,733| −4.1%
2018 | 676,005| −1.7%
2019 | 671,985| −0.6%
2020 | 667,378| −0.7%
2021 | 644,473| −3.4%
2022 | 627,478| −2.6%

Romanian diaspora in Spain is today the second Romanian diaspora in the EU, after that of Italy. Romanians in Spain have settled especially in the provinces of Madrid, Castellón, Valencia, Zaragoza and Barcelona.[10]

Romanian diaspora inside the EU between 2008 and 2012

## Notable individuals

[edit]

Further information: Category:Spanish people of Romanian descent and Category:Romanian emigrants to Spain

* Alexandru Buligan (born 1960), handball player and coach
* Mihaela Ciobanu (born 1973), handball player
* Cosmin Contra (born 1975), footballer and coach
* Gheorghe Craioveanu (born 1968), footballer
* Alexandru Dedu (born 1971), handball player
* Constantin Gâlcă (born 1972), footballer and coach
* Cristian Ganea (born 1992), footballer
* Adrian Ilie (born 1974), footballer
* Valeriu Lazarov (1935–2009), television producer, director of Spanish channel Telecinco
* Alina Nastase (born 1990), actress, model and director
* Gheorghe Popescu (born 1967), footballer
* Roxana Popa (born 1997), artistic gymnast
* Virgil Popa (born 1975), conductor
* Amelia Tiganus (born 1984), writer and abolitionist activist
* Marcela Topor (born 1976), journalist

## See also

[edit]

* Romania portal
* Spain portal

* Romania–Spain relations
* Romance-speaking Europe
* Romanian diaspora
* Immigration to Spain

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Población por comunidades y provincias, país de nacimiento, edad (Grupos quinquenales) y sexo". Archived from the original on 30 January 2021. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
2. ^ "España pierde 277.560 rumanos en diez años, la diáspora huye del país: "Ya no compensa vivir aquí"". 31 January 2022. Archived from the original on 19 June 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
3. ^ "La gran remontada: por qué muchos rumanos están dejando España de vuelta a Rumanía". Archived from the original on 27 December 2024. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
4. ^ "Población extranjera por Nacionalidad, comunidades, Sexo y Año" (PDF).
5. ^ "Estadística de residentes extranjeros en España" (PDF). Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration (in Spanish). p. 4\. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 April 2021. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
6. ^ "Number of Romanians in Spain declined in 2017". 26 June 2018. Archived from the original on 9 November 2021. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
7. ^ "Población por comunidades y provincias, país de nacimiento, edad (Grupos quinquenales) y sexo" (PDF). Archived from the original on 30 January 2021. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
8. ^ Sorin Pâslaru (30 June 2016). "De ce trebuie România să constituie Alianţa Latină împreună cu Italia şi Spania. Ce avem de făcut în NUE – Noua Uniune Europeană". Ziarul Financiar (in Romanian). Archived from the original on 3 August 2016. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
9. ^ "Población extranjera por Nacionalidad, comunidades, Sexo y Año. Datos provisionales 2022". INE. Archived from the original on 17 June 2022. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
10. ^ "report-spain.pdf" (PDF). December 2011. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 April 2023. Retrieved 19 April 2023.

### Sources

[edit]

* "Población extranjera por sexo, país de nacionalidad y edad (hasta 85 y más).", Avance del Padrón a 1 de enero de 2009. Datos provisionales, Spain: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, 2009, archived from the original on 14 December 2009, retrieved 13 June 2009
* "Población extranjera por sexo, país de nacionalidad y edad (hasta 85 y más).", Revisión del Padrón municipal 2008. Datos a nivel nacional, comunidad autónoma y provincia., Spain: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, 2008, retrieved 13 June 2009
* "Población extranjera por sexo, país de nacionalidad y edad (hasta 85 y más).", Revisión del Padrón municipal 2007. Datos a nivel nacional, comunidad autónoma y provincia., Spain: Instituto Nacional de Estadística, 2008, retrieved 13 June 2009

* v
* t
* e

Immigration to Spain

Africa|

* Amazigh
* Algerians
* Moroccans
* Sahrawis
* Cape Verdeans
* Equatorial Guineans

Americas
(Latin American)|

* Argentines
* Bolivians
* Chileans
* Colombians
* Cubans
* Dominicans
* Ecuadorians
* Hondurans
* Mexicans
* Paraguayans
* Peruvians
* Salvadorans
* Uruguayans
* Venezuelans

Asia|

* Arabs
* Lebanese
* Armenians
* Chinese
* Filipinos
* Georgians
* Indians
* Iranians
* Japanese
* Koreans
* Pakistanis
* Turks

Europe|

* Albanians
* British immigration in Spain
* Bulgarians
* Romanians
* Russians
* Serbs
* Italians
* Poles
* Ukrainians

See also|

* Demographics of Spain

* v
* t
* e

Ethnic groups in Spain

Spaniards|

* Andalusians
* Aragonese
* Asturians (including Vaqueiros de alzada)
* Canary Islanders
* Cantabrians
* Castilians
* Extremadurans
* Leonese
* Basques
* Catalans
* Balearics
* Valencians
* Galicians

Historic and related minorities|

* Gypsies (Iberian Kale)
* Sephardim (Western Sephardim, Xuetas)
* Isleños
* Criollos

Immigrants and expatriates|

* v
* t
* e

Immigration to Spain

Africa|

* Amazigh
* Algerians
* Moroccans
* Sahrawis
* Cape Verdeans
* Equatorial Guineans

Americas
(Latin American)|

* Argentines
* Bolivians
* Chileans
* Colombians
* Cubans
* Dominicans
* Ecuadorians
* Hondurans
* Mexicans
* Paraguayans
* Peruvians
* Salvadorans
* Uruguayans
* Venezuelans

Asia|

* Arabs
* Lebanese
* Armenians
* Chinese
* Filipinos
* Georgians
* Indians
* Iranians
* Japanese
* Koreans
* Pakistanis
* Turks

Europe|

* Albanians
* British immigration in Spain
* Bulgarians
* Romanians
* Russians
* Serbs
* Italians
* Poles
* Ukrainians

See also|

* Demographics of Spain

Related topics|

* Genetic history
* Immigration

* v
* t
* e

Romanian diaspora

Europe|

| Native communities
outside Romania|

* Bulgaria
* Hungary
* Serbia
* Ukraine

|

* Finland
* France
* Germany
* Italy
* Spain
* United Kingdom

Americas|

* Argentina
* Brazil
* Canada
* Mexico
* United States
* Venezuela

Asia and Oceania|

* Australia
* Kazakhstan
* Kyrgyzstan
* Romanian Jews in Israel
* Turkey
* Uzbekistan

Moldovan diaspora
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template
*[Pop.]: Population
*[±%]: Percent change