Romania attracted nearly 280,000 more residents than it lost through migration over the past four years

Romania is changing its migration profile after the number of people settling in the country exceeded the number of emigrants during 2022–2025. According to the Social Monitor, a project of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, the cumulative net migration balance was nearly 280,000 people, and Romania is no longer predominantly a country of emigration, but one of immigration.

Data from the National Institute of Statistics indicate a positive net migration balance for the fourth consecutive year: 97,114 people in 2022, 66,065 in 2023, 48,716 in 2024 and 66,920 in 2025. The calculation takes into account people who settle in a country for more than 12 months.

The latest Eurostat data, covering 2024, show that approximately two-thirds of the 287,000 long-term immigrants—184,700 people—were Romanian citizens returning to the country. Ukrainian citizens accounted for 13% of the total, mainly following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. Other significant flows came from Nepal, with approximately 15,000 people, and Sri Lanka, with around 7,000.

In the case of permanent migration, most immigrants arriving in Romania in 2025 came from the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. Romanians returning from Germany, Canada, Italy and Spain were also recorded—countries that were important destinations for Romanian emigration after the Revolution.