What final resident population did Romania's 2021 census show?

Romania’s 2021 census showed a final resident population of 19,053,815. The figure comes from Romania’s RPL2021, whose reference date was 1 December 2021, even though data collection took place mainly in 2022.

The census was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It combined administrative records, online self-enumeration and face-to-face interviews. Romania’s National Institute of Statistics published the final demographic results on 31 May 2023.

A common mix-up is the preliminary figure of about 18.15 million Romanian citizens. That number referred to citizens recorded in an early announcement, whereas the final resident-population total also reflects the census definition of usual residence. The result represented a decline from the 2011 census, continuing Romania’s long-term population decrease linked to emigration, low birth rates and ageing.

Bucharest was Romania’s most populous locality in the census, while Tulcea County was among the least populated. The census therefore provides more than a headline national total: it also maps the country’s changing regional and demographic structure.