Changes in the Spatial Distribution of the Roma Population in Bihor and Satu Mare Counties between 1992 and 2021

Abstract

We examined the number of Roma people using census data from 1992, 2002, 2011, and 2021 for the 166 municipalities of Bihor and Satu Mare counties in Romania, harmonized to a uniform territorial framework. According to the combined census of the two counties, the Roma population increased from 31,619 people (3.04%) in 1992 to 53,177 in 2021, while their proportion doubled (6.64%). Over the same period, the number and proportion of people with unknown ethnicity increased even more rapidly, particularly after 2002, posing a substantial methodological challenge for population structure analyses. Despite the considerable growth of the Roma population, its spatial distribution remained relatively stable between 1992 and 2021. Roma proportions at municipal level in the two years showed a strong and statistically significant rank correlation (Spearman’s ρ = 0.813; p < 0.001). Growth in the Roma share between 1992 and 2021 was also weakly but significantly associated with lower population density in 2021 (Spearman’s ρ = −0.207; p = 0.007), which is an indicator of the population structure dynamics of the peripheral areas.