Romani diaspora
The Romani diaspora refers to the presence and dispersion of Romani people across various parts of the world. Their migration out of the Indian subcontinent occurred in waves, with the first estimated to have taken place in the 6th century. They are believed to have first arrived in Europe in the 9th century, via the Balkans. Gradually, they came to settle across the areas of present-day European Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, North Macedonia, Serbia, Kosovo, Moldova, Hungary, Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia and Slovakia. From the Balkans, they migrated throughout Europe and, in the 19th and later centuries, some migrated to the Americas. The Romani population in the United States is estimated at around one million.
Romani people are predominantly found in Europe, particularly in the Balkans, Slovakia and Spain. The total number of Romani people living outside Europe are primarily in the Americas, and are estimated in total at more than two million. Most Romani populations overseas were founded in the 19th century by emigration from Europe. Some countries do not collect data by ethnicity. As of the early 2000s, an estimated 4 to 9 million Romani people lived in Europe and Asia Minor, although some Romani organizations estimate numbers as high as 14 million. There is no official or reliable count of the Roma populations worldwide. Many Roma refuse to register their ethnic identity in official censuses for fear of discrimination. There are also some descendants of intermarriage with local populations who no longer identify exclusively as Romani, or who do not identify as Romani at all.
The Romani people may identify with distinct subgroups based in part on territorial, religious, cultural and dialectal differences, and self-designation. The main branches are:
File:Gypsy family with varda wagon on Epsom Downs 1938.JPG|thumb|Romani people with their horse and vardo in Epsom, England, 1938
- Roma or Romanies—in this context, these terms encompass Romani people who do not identify with a subgroup, present throughout the continent. They are also used to refer to all Romani people as a whole.
- Sinti, concentrated in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France and Italy.
- Kalderash, concentrated in Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia and Hungary.
- Calé, concentrated in Spain, but also in Portugal and southern France.
- Manouche, concentrated in France and Belgium.
- Romanlar, in Turkey, particularly East Thrace.
- Romanichal, in England, the Scottish Borders, northeast Wales and south Wales.
- Romanisael, in Sweden and Norway.
- Gurbeti, concentrated in Turkey, Albania, Bulgaria, Kosovo and Serbia
- Boyash, concentrated in Romania and Moldova.
- Ursari, concentrated in Romania and Moldova.
- Kaale, in Finland and Sweden.
- Kalé, in Wales.
- Lovari, concentrated in Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
- Sevlengere in Greece and Turkey.
- Horahane Roma in the Balkans.
- Lowland Romani, in the Scottish Lowlands.
Population by country
This is a table of Romani people by country.The official number of Romani people is disputed in many countries; some do not collect data by ethnicity; in others, Romani individuals may refuse to register their ethnic identity for fear of discrimination, or have assimilated and do not identify exclusively as Romani. In some cases, governments consult Romani organizations for data.
| Country | Region | Population | Subgroups |
| Albania | Southeastern Europe | Gabel, Jevgs | |
| Algeria | North Africa | Kale, Xoraxane | |
| Angola | Africa | Kale | |
| Argentina | South America | Kalderash, Boyash, Kale | |
| Australia | Oceania | + | Romanichal, Boyash |
| Austria | Central Europe | –50,000 | Burgenland-Roma, Sinti, Lovari, Arlije from Macedonia, Kalderash from Serbia, Gurbeti from Serbia and Macedonia |
| Belarus | Eastern Europe | or 50,000–60,000 | Belaruska Roma, Ruska Roma, Polska Roma, Litovska Roma, Lotfitka Roma, Servy, Kalderash |
| Belgium | Western Europe | –15,000 | Romungro |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Southeastern Europe | 12,000 / 58,000 | |
| Brazil | South America | –1,000,000 | Kale, Kalderash, Machvaya, Xoraxane, Boyash |
| Bulgaria | Southeastern Europe | to 600,000 | Yerli, Gurbeti, Kalderash, Boyash, Ursari |
| Canada | North America | Kalderash, Romanichal | |
| Chile | South America | –20,000 | Xoraxane |
| Colombia | South America | Kalderash | - |
| Croatia | Central / Southeastern Europe | Estimated:3,000 | Lovari, Boyash |
| Cyprus | West Asia | Kalderash, Kurbet, Mantides | |
| Denmark | Northern Europe | –2,000 | - |
| Ecuador | South America | Kalderash | |
| Estonia | Northern Europe | 456 | Baltic |
| Finland | Northern Europe | + Kàlo | - |
| France | Western Europe | 1,200,000–1,300,000 | Manush, Kalderash, Lovari, Sinti |
| Germany | Central / Western Europe | mostly Sinti, but also Balkan Roma, Vlax Roma | - |
| Georgia | West Asia / Eastern Europe | 500+ | |
| Greece | Southeastern Europe | or 300,000 | Erlides, Xoraxane, |
| Hungary | Central / Southeastern Europe | ; 394,000–1,000,000 | Romungro, Boyash, Lovari |
| Ireland | Northern Europe | ||
| Italy | Southern Europe | –180,000 + 152,000 illegal Roma in 700 camps | Sinti, Ursari, Kalderash, Xoraxane |
| Kosovo | Southeastern Europe | - | |
| Latvia | Northeastern Europe | or 13,000–15,000 | Lofitka Roma |
| Lithuania | Central / Northeastern Europe | –4,000 | |
| Luxembourg | Western Europe | 100–150 | |
| North Macedonia | Southeastern Europe | Roma and 3,843 Balkan Egyptians to 260,000 | Yerli, Gurbeti, Cergari, Egyptians |
| Mexico | North America | Kale, Boyash, Machwaya, Lovari, Gitanos, Kalderash | |
| Moldova | Eastern / Southeastern Europe | to 20,000–25,000 or 150,000 | Rusurja, Ursari, Kalderash |
| Montenegro | Southeastern Europe | to 20,000, additionally 8,000 registered Roma refugees from Kosovo, the entire number of IDP Kosovarian Roma in Montenegro is twice as large. | |
| Netherlands | Western Europe | –40,000 | |
| New Zealand | Oceania | 132 | |
| Norway | Northern Europe | or more | Romanisael, Vlax |
| Poland | Central / Eastern Europe | –60,000 | Polska Roma |
| Portugal | Southern / Western Europe | ||
| Romania | Eastern / Southeastern Europe | 1,850,000 | Kalderash, Ursari, Lovari, Vlax, Romungro |
| Russia | Eastern Europe / North Asia | or 450,000–1,000,000 | Ruska Roma, Kalderash, Servy, Ursari Lovare, Wallachian Roma |
| Serbia | Southeastern Europe | or 400,000–800,000 | See Romani people in Serbia. Main sub-groups include "Turkish Gypsies", "White Gypsies", "Wallachian Gypsies" and "Hungarian Gypsies". |
| Slovakia | Central / Eastern Europe | or 550,000 | Romungro |
| Slovenia | Central / Southeastern Europe | –10,000 | |
| Spain | Southern / Western Europe | 600,000–800,000 or 1,500,000 | Gitanos, Kalderash, Boyash, Erromintxela |
| Sweden | Northern Europe | –65,000 | Romanisael, Vlax, Kàlo |
| Switzerland | Central / Western Europe | –35,000 | |
| Turkey | West Asia / Southeastern Europe | to 5,000,000 | Romani people in Turkey |
| Ukraine | Eastern Europe | or 400,000 | Kelderare, Kotlyary, Ruska Roma, Servy, Lovare, Kelmysh, Crymy, Servica Roma, Ungriko Roma |
| United Kingdom | Northern / Western Europe | –94,000+ Unspecified number of Romani immigrants from Eastern Europe and additionally 200,000 recent migrants | Romanichal, Kale |
| United States | North America | ||
| Uruguay | South America | –5,000 | |
| Venezuela | South America | –5,000 | Gitanos, Gurbeti, Kalderash, Xaladitka Roma, Ciganos, Manouche |