The Roma in Europe
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The Roma in Europe [editar]

Social situation of the Roma population in Europe

Today, the Roma are scattered across the globe. Between 10 and 12 million live in Europe, still facing serious inequalities in areas that are very important for achieving social inclusion.

According to the latest survey in 2024 by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), the Roma and Traveller population in the EU has more jobs and better housing than before, but poverty, discrimination and segregation remain widespread. The FRA warns that significant gaps remain between the EU's Roma inclusion targets and the experiences of Roma and Traveller communities. 

With regard to discrimination, 31% of the Roma and Traveller population suffers discrimination on the basis of their ethnic origin, a figure similar to that of 2021 (25%). 

Seventy per cent of the Roma and Traveller population lives in poverty. Although this figure is lower than in 2016 (80%), as in 2021 (80%), Roma and Traveller families are still four times more likely to face poverty than the general population of the EU. Children are the most affected by poverty and economic hardship. 

In terms of housing, 47% of the Roma and Traveller population live in damp and dark homes or without adequate sanitation facilities. This figure is lower than in 2016 (61%) and 2021 (52%), but it is still far from the EU average (18%). Overcrowding remains a problem, with 83% living in homes without enough rooms. 

53% of Roma and Traveller children attend early childhood education, which is higher than in 2016 (42%) and also higher than in 2021 (44%). However, it remains much lower than that of children in the EU as a whole (95%). Only 32% complete upper secondary education, compared to 84% of the general student population. 

Segregation in schools remains widespread. Forty-six per cent of Roma and Traveller children attend a school where all or most of the pupils are Roma or Traveller. 

54% of the Roma and Traveller population is in paid employment, which is an improvement compared to 2016 (43%) and 2021 (43%), but employment levels remain well below those of the general population (75%). At the same time, 36% of the Roma and Traveller population felt discriminated against when looking for work: more than double the figure for 2016 (16%) and higher than in 2021 (33%).

The gender gap is very marked in this area: only 38% of Roma and Traveller women have paid work, compared to 69% of Roma and Traveller men. Although their awareness of equality bodies is improving, less than 6% of Roma and Traveller people report discrimination. This figure is much lower than in 2016 (16%) and 2021 (5%), a worrying figure that indicates that fewer and fewer cases are being reported.

Health inequalities remain serious. Roma and Travellers live 8 years (men) and 7.4 years (women) less than the rest of the population in the countries surveyed. 

This survey assesses progress in social inclusion, discrimination and living conditions of Roma and Travellers in Europe, in 13 European countries, 10 of which are EU Member States (Bulgaria, Czechia, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Romania and Spain) and 3 candidate countries (Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia).

EU policies for the Roma

The inclusion and equality of the Roma population in Europe became a concern for the EU in 2010 with the launch of the EU Framework for Roma Inclusion 2011-2020. For the first time, a common framework was established for the development of measures and policies at the national level based on approaches, objectives, and areas of work shared by all EU Member States. With this framework, the inclusion of the Roma reached the top of the European political agenda.

Despite the undoubted step forward represented by the first European framework for the inclusion of the Roma population in the EU, the reality is that it had a very limited impact on the living conditions of the Roma population. After a long process of evaluation and consultation with different stakeholders, in 2020 the European Commission launched a new proposal for the next ten years, with the aim of addressing the critical situation of the Roma population in Europe: the new European Strategic Framework for Roma Equality, Inclusion, and Participation 2020-2030, which set more ambitious goals.

The new framework aims to address inequality among the Roma population in the EU by focusing on equality, inclusion, and participation as horizontal and measurable objectives. Combating prejudice and fighting antigypsyism and discrimination explicitly and as primary objectives are new features of this new framework. Education, employment, health, and housing remain key areas, but the new framework adds three essential objectives: effective equality for the Roma population, meaningful participation, and socioeconomic inclusion to combat the persistent poverty rates among the Roma population in the Union. Through these new objectives, greater recognition and importance is given to the existence of antigypsyism as a specific form of structural racism.

Each country in the European Union creates its own strategic framework and plans for the inclusion of the Roma population and the use of European funds to combat antigypsyism and improve their quality of life.

The European Commission carries out mid-term evaluations that measure the progress of these national plans and provide recommendations for advancing toward the objectives set out in the European strategy.