Romania People

Since 1989, there has been a rise in Romanian nationalism, aggravated by the hardships brought by the austerity measures of economic reform. The incidence of ethnic violence has also risen, particularly toward Gypsies and Hungarians, but attacks by Gypsies on Hungarians have also increased. Ethnic Hungarians form the largest minority group in Romania. They are partly protected by the influence of the Hungarian state, whereas the Gypsies do not have any similar support and tend to suffer greater discrimination.
    Romania's population is currently decreasing. This is due to rising emigration since 1989, mainly for economic reasons, and to a falling birthrate since the early 1990s. The latter trend is in sharp contrast to the 1980s, when the Ceausescu regime enforced a "pro-natalist" policy, banning contraception and abortion. The government also imposed taxes on childless adults or on those with fewer than four children and obliged married women to have monthly fertility examinations. The birthrate rose accordingly. However, the population as a whole did not rise significantly, due to an increase in Romania's mortality rate. Abortion was legalized in 1989; maternal death rates have recently declined.