More than half of Romanians are connected to the diaspora, either directly or through family, according to the Diaspora Barometer, a study conducted by INSCOP Research for Banca Transilvania Group. Family ties, financial connections, property and professional relationships sustain the diaspora’s links with Romania. Migration increasingly reflects mobility rather than a choice between Romania and another country.

The research provided the basis for a complex index that groups Romania’s population into four categories according to their connection to the diaspora:

• People who live or have lived abroad;
• People with close relatives who live or have lived abroad;
• People who study or have studied abroad;
• People with limited or no connection to the diaspora.
  
  

According to the BAROMETER, the diaspora is increasingly connected to Romania:

• Migration is woven into Romania’s social structure, both through Romanians who have lived abroad and through their families and personal networks. Currently, 56 per cent of Romanians have a connection to the diaspora.
  
  
• From abroad, links with Romania continue through family, property, money sent home, banking arrangements, professional relationships and civic engagement. Moving abroad no longer means cutting ties with Romania.

At Banca Transilvania, we take a keen interest in the diaspora. Our commitment combines a business perspective - continually improving our products and services for Romanians abroad - with the role we can play in helping them maintain their ties with Romania. It is also a matter of national pride: we want to be close to Romanians everywhere and support those who choose to return home, including through financing solutions. In recent years, we have learnt a lot from our direct relationships with customers in the diaspora, including through the events and visits we frequently organise in countries with strong Romanian communities.

Ömer Tetik
Chief Executive Officer
Banca Transilvania

Taken together, the results of the DIASPORA BAROMETER show that the diaspora is not separate from Romanian society, but an integral extension of it. Migration has become deeply embedded in Romania’s social fabric. In most cases, moving abroad does not mean severing ties with the country. These ties continue through family, property and other assets, financial transfers, banking services, professional relationships and active participation in civic life. The BAROMETER reveals not only a country that has experienced mass emigration, but also a vibrant society in which borders have become less distinct. A significant proportion of the population lives - directly or through loved ones - with points of reference, relationships, resources and opportunities spanning Romania and other countries. This reality shapes how people view their country, plan their lives, support their families and envisage the next generation’s future.

Remus Ștefureac
CEO and founder
INSCOP Research

Family keeps Romanians close, wherever they are 

Family is one of the strongest ties between the diaspora and Romania. Over 17 per cent of respondents have children who currently live abroad.

Migration brings significant economic benefits to families left behind at home, but also certain negative aspects; the responses suggest that whilst migration solves material problems, it can entail emotional and family costs that money cannot compensate for.

• ≈51 per cent of respondents mention a cooling of certain relationships.
• ≈46 per cent referred to the situation of children growing up without one or both parents.

Money flows with the people 

The relationship between Romania and the diaspora is also financial in nature, with money sent to Romania serving as a means of supporting the family.

• Over 60 per cent of those who live or have lived abroad have sent money to Romania.
• ≈33 per cent of those who have sent or are sending money to Romania have done so consistently. The money was mainly intended to meet family needs: day-to-day expenses, education, healthcare, housing and the payment of bills.

Returning home depends mainly on opportunities

The study shows that returning to Romania is determined primarily by economic prospects and quality of life.

• Almost 41 per cent of respondents cite better salaries and jobs in Romania as reasons for returning to the country.
• 32 per cent cited being close to family..
• ≈20 per cent mentioned improved living conditions and public services as a prerequisite.

Attachment to Romania remains a key factor, but the decision to return also depends heavily on the extent to which Romania can become a competitive option for the life that Romanians in the diaspora wish to build for themselves and their families.

A generation for whom the future is less about geography

The study reveals yet another shift in perspective across the generations:

• ≈36 per cent of respondents would like the future of the children or young people in their family to be built in Romania.
• ≈29 per cent replied ‘wherever they are better off’.
• ≈16 per cent prefer them rather to be abroad.

Study methodology 

Data were collected between August and September 2026 via telephone interviews (CATI), based on a questionnaire. The study was conducted on a random sample of over 1,400 people, representative of Romania’s non-institutionalised population aged 18 and over, from the perspective of the main socio-demographic categories: gender, age and occupation. The maximum margin of error is ± 2.6 per cent, at a 95 per cent confidence level.

The full version of the Diaspora BAROMETER will be presented by the end of the year.