The Roma are a transnational ethnic group originating from migrations out of the Indian subcontinent roughly a millennium ago, today the largest ethnic minority in Europe, with sustained communities from Spain to Russia and later migration to the Americas. Roma identity encompasses several historically distinct subgroups (including Kalderash, Sinti, Romanichal and others) sharing Romani-language heritage while differing in dialect, occupation and regional history. Roma communities have faced extensively documented historical persecution, including mass killing during the Holocaust (the Romani genocide, or Porajmos) and ongoing, well-documented discrimination in housing, education and employment across contemporary Europe, which remains an active subject of European Union and national policy.
Facts
Group TypeSourced to the subject's own accountEthnic group (transnational diaspora) 1 Typical RegionSourced to the subject's own accountOriginating in South Asia; present across Europe, with communities also in the Americas and elsewhere 1 Primary LanguageSourced to the subject's own accountRomani (with regional dialects) and the majority language of the country of residence 1 Subsistence ModeSourced to the subject's own accountHistorically itinerant craft, trade and entertainment occupations (metalworking, music, horse-trading among others); the large majority today live in settled communities. 1 Disputed
Population Estimateestimated 10 to 12 million in Europe 1 Sourced to the subject's own accountRoma populations are substantially undercounted in national censuses because of both non-response, driven by documented discrimination, and inconsistent classification, so cited totals vary widely. Sources
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