Romania lost 1.1 million inhabitants in a decade, but not uniformly
39 of the 42 counties fell in population between the two censuses. In some communes the fall exceeds 30%, and the smallest commune in the country now has 88 inhabitants.
The ROptimizaRE editorial team · 5 min read · updated 15 October 2026
In short
- The resident population fell by 1.1 million (−5.3%) between the 2011 and 2021 censuses, to 19,053,815 people[1]
- 39 of 42 counties (including Bucharest) lost population; only Ilfov, Bistrița-Năsăud and Suceava gained[1]
- Caraș-Severin lost 16.6% of its population (49,000 people), the largest relative fall of any county[1]
- Bătrâna commune, in Hunedoara, now has only 88 inhabitants, the smallest in Romania, down from 127 in 2011[1]
A fall of 1.1 million people in a decade
The 2021 census found a resident population of 19,053,815 people, 1,067,800 fewer than at the October 2011 census. That is a national fall of 5.3%, accompanied by marked ageing: the average age rose from 40.8 to 42.4 years[1].
Counties that lost population
39
Year 2021 · source[1]
out of 42 counties, including the Municipality of Bucharest
A single county gains massively; the rest lose, almost uniformly
Ilfov is the clear exception: it gained 153,900 inhabitants, mostly migrating from Bucharest. Only Bistrița-Năsăud (+9,800) and Suceava (+7,700) also recorded increases, much more modest. At the opposite end, Caraș-Severin lost 16.6% of its population (49,000 people), and Teleorman 14.9% (56,600 people)[1].
At locality level, the differences are even larger
Some communes tripled in ten years: Chiajna (Ilfov) grew by 305.7% to 43,584 inhabitants, and Valea Lupului (Iași) by 291.2%. At the opposite end, Ciudanovița commune (Caraș-Severin) fell by 32.4% to just 444 inhabitants, and Valea Salciei and Mărgăritești (both in Buzău) by over 31% each[1].
The smallest commune in Romania
88
Year 2021 · source[1]
Bătrâna commune, Hunedoara county, down from 127 inhabitants in 2011. Like every commune, it has its own town hall and its own administrative apparatus.
Sources
Primary official sources; where we use the press (only when the official document is not public) we mark it. The links lead to the original document or to the report cited (titles are translated; the documents themselves are in Romanian unless stated).
- [1]
National Institute of Statistics — Population and Housing Census, 2021 round — provisional data by territorial profile (in Romanian) (press release; provisional data, comparison with the October 2011 census)
Published 1 January 2023 · Accessed 15 October 2026 · the original document(opens in a new tab)
This is a translation of the Romanian article, which prevails. Source titles are translated for convenience; the documents themselves are in Romanian unless stated.