Data on homelessness and housing exclusion 2026: Romania

Summary of key data and information

	Summary of key data and information
Official statistical definition of homelessness (Table 1)	In Romania, people experiencing homelessness are defined as: single persons or families who, for single or cumulative reasons of social, medical, financial, legal or legal order due to force majeure situations, live in the street, temporarily live with friends or acquaintances, are unable to support a home on a rental basis or are at risk of evacuation, are in institutions or penitentiaries where they are to be discharged within 2 months, respectively issued and have no domicile or residence.
Latest national estimates of homelessness (Table 2, Table 3)	15 343 individuals, representing 0.081% of the total population (2024)
	Flow count, based on Reports from Local Authorities
	Point-in-time count, based on the Australian Census of Population and Housing
	ETHOS Light groups included	Included: ETHOS Light 1: Living on the streets, in public spaces ETHOS Light 2: Emergency accommodation (e.g. shelters) ETHOS Light 3: Accommodation for the homeless (e.g. hostels and women’s refuges) ETHOS Light 4: People in institutions ETHOS Light 5: People in non-conventional dwellings (e.g. caravans, cars or tents) ETHOS Light 6: Living temporarily with others in conventional housing (e.g. sofa-surfing)
	Notes: Each ETHOS Light group includes one or more sub-categories of living situations. ETHOS Light groups are considered as “included” in the data collection approach if at least one of the sub-categories is counted.
Legal framework to collect data on homelessness (Table 4)	Romania uses the Commission Regulation (EC) n. 1201/2009 of 30 November 2009 as a legal basis for the collection of homelessness data in the census. Also, administrative data on homeless people is collected based on Social Assistance Law no. 292/2011.
Homelessness Strategy (Table 5)	National Homelessness Strategy: National Strategy on the Social Inclusion of the Homeless for the period 2022 - 2027 Other (e.g. anti-poverty, housing) national strategies addressing homelessness: National Strategy on Housing – 2022 – 2050 (approved by GD no.842/2022) and National Strategy for Social Inclusion and Poverty Reduction – 2022-2027 (approved by GD no.440/2022)
Approaches to collect data on homelessness (Table 6)	Report from social services providers: Social services providers annually report data regarding the activity of social services to the Ministry of Labour, Family, Youth and Social Solidarity (Table 6.1). Report from Local Authorities: Local authorities report service usage data to the Ministry of Labour, Family, Youth and Social Solidarity (Table 6.2). Population and Housing Census: Enumerators conduct face‑to-face interviews with people experiencing homelessness (Table 6.3).

Table 1. Official statistical definition of homelessness

Statistical definition

Homelessness

In Romania, the definition of homelessness, provided in Law no. 292/2011, with subsequent amendments, covers all categories of ETHOS Light, except for people living in unconventional housing due to lack of housing, which are not explicitly defined as homeless people, although they could be covered by the wide category of those incapable of paying rent. The definition used in the Romanian legislation explicitly includes: people living in miserable conditions (operational category 1 ETHOS Light), people in emergency shelters and people in centres for the homeless (categories 2 and 3 ETHOS Light), people from institutions / prisons (category 4 ETHOS Light), people who temporarily live in conventional housing with family or friends (category 6 ETHOS Light). People in unconventional housing (category 5 ETHOS Light), not covered by the existing definition in the Romanian legislation, but the persons who cannot bear the costs of rent or who are exposed to the risk of eviction are defined by law as homeless people. According to Law No. 292/2011, with subsequent amendments, republished, homeless people are defined as “a social category made up of single persons or families who, for singular or cumulative reasons of social, medical, financial-economic, legal nature or due to force majeure situations, live in the street, temporarily live with friends or acquaintances, are unable to support a dwelling under rental regime or are at risk of eviction, are in institutions or penitentiaries from where they are to be discharged within 2 months, respectively be liberated and they have no dwelling. The target group which is taken into consideration by the National Strategy for the Social Inclusion of the Homeless for the period 2022-2027 refers to, in line with the ETHOS LIGHT taxonomy: 1. people living in miserable conditions 2. people in emergency shelters 3. people in centres for homeless people in different institutions 4. people living in non-conventional housing due to lack of housing 5. homeless people who temporarily live in conventional dwellings belonging to family members or friends due to the lack of their own housing. National Institute of Statistics: The 2011 Population and Housing Census measured the number of homeless people according to the definition included in the Commission Regulation (EC) No. 1201/2009 of 30 November 2009 implementing Regulation (EC) No. 763/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on population and housing censuses as regards the technical specifications of the topics and of their breakdowns: “Primary homeless persons” are persons living in the streets without a shelter that would fall within the scope of living quarters as defined in the technical specifications for the topic “Type of living quarters”.

Table 2. Data on people experiencing homelessness: Headline estimate, by living situation

Presented according to ETHOS Light Typology

Year	Headline estimate of homelessness (Individuals)	% of total population	ETHOS Light 1 People living rough	ETHOS Light 2 People in emergency accommodation	ETHOS Light 3 People in accommodation for the homeless	ETHOS Light 4 People living in institutions	ETHOS Light 5 People living in unconventional dwellings	ETHOS Light 6 People staying with family/friends
2011	1 524	0.008%	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
2022	8 436	0.038%	Not included	Included in headline estimate but not specified	Included in headline estimate but not specified	Not included	Not included	Not included
2024	15 343	0.081%	Not included	Included in headline estimate but not specified	Included in headline estimate but not specified	Not included	Not included	Not included
Metadata: Type of count: Flow Data are comparable across years: No Included in headline estimate: Children: Yes Temporary accommodation for: Asylum seekers: Yes Refugees: Yes Victims/survivors of domestic violence: Yes

Source: OECD Questionnaire on Affordable Housing (QuASH); Ministry of Labour, Family, Youth and Social Solidarity (2024), Reports from Local Authorities; Ministry of Labour, Family, Youth and Social Solidarity (2024), Reports from social services providers.

Table 3. Data on people experiencing homelessness: Headline estimate, by sub-group and living situation

Presented according to ETHOS Light Typology, 2024

	Single adults	Men	Women	Youth (aged 18‑35)	Older people (aged 65 and over)	Families with children (# of households)
Headline estimate of homelessness	NA	NA	NA	529	1 003	NA
As percentage of total population experiencing homelessness	NA	NA	NA	3.45%	6.54%	NA
ETHOS Light 1: People living rough	NA	NA	NA	Not included	Not included	NA
ETHOS Light 2: People in emergency accommodation	NA	NA	NA	Included in headline estimate but not specified	Included in headline estimate but not specified	NA
ETHOS Light 3: People in accommodation for the homeless	NA	NA	NA	Included in headline estimate but not specified	Included in headline estimate but not specified	NA
ETHOS Light 4: People living in institutions	NA	NA	NA	Not included	Not included	NA
ETHOS Light 5: People living in unconventional dwellings	NA	NA	NA	Not included	Not included	NA
ETHOS Light 6: People staying with family/friends	NA	NA	NA	Not included	Not included	NA
Metadata: Type of count: Flow Included in headline estimate: Children: No Temporary accommodation for: Asylum seekers: No Refugees: No Victims/survivors of domestic violence: No

Note: Sub-groups are not mutually exclusive.

Source: OECD Questionnaire on Affordable and Social Housing (QuASH); Data source for the elderly (2024) – reports of local authorities to the Ministry of Labour, Family, Youth and Social Solidarity; Data source for the youth (2024) – reports of social services for the youth (Residential transit centres for young people in difficulty and Multifunctional centres for young people in difficulty) to the Ministry of Labour, Family, Youth and Social Solidarity. Data reported to the MoLFYSS are not disaggregated by gender, type of household/family.

Table 4. Legal framework to collect data on homelessness

	Legal framework
Law that governs data collection on homelessness	Commission Regulation (EC) no 1201/2009 of 30 November 2009 implementing Regulation (EC) No 763/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on population and housing censuses as regards the technical specifications of the topics and of their breakdowns
Legal obligations	Romania uses the Commission Regulation as a basis for homelessness data collection in the Census. Other data collection methods are not covered by this legal document. Administrative data on homeless people are collected based on Social Assistance Law no. 292/2011.

Table 5. Homelessness strategy

	Homelessness strategies in place
National Homelessness Strategy	National Homelessness Strategy: National Strategy on the Social Inclusion of the Homeless for the period 2022 - 2027 Other (e.g. anti-poverty, housing) national strategies addressing homelessness: National Strategy on Housing – 2022 – 2050 (approved by GD no.842/2022) National Strategy for Social Inclusion and Poverty Reduction – 2022-2027 (approved by GD no.440/2022)
Regional and/or local homelessness strategies exist	No.

Table 6. Approaches to collect data on homelessness

6.1. Report from social services providers
Description The Ministry of Labour, Family, Youth and Social Solidarity collects yearly data on social services activity, according to the Law no.292/2011, based on social services providers’ reports. The social services providers report to the Ministry of Labour, Family, Youth and Social Solidarity the number of unique beneficiaries, according to their own records. A number of 194 residential social services for homeless people (including street children) reported 11 552 beneficiaries for 2024. Night shelters for street children: 502 Night shelters for homeless persons: 3 667 Residential assistance and protection centres for victims of human trafficking: 26 Emergency admission centres for children: 3 600 Emergency shelters for victims of domestic violence:1082 Residential Assistance and Reintegration/Social Reintegration Centres for the Homeless: 1999 Residential transit centres for young people in difficulty: 185 Multifunctional centres for young people in difficulty: 344 Regional Centres for Procedures and Accommodation of Asylum Seekers and Those Granted a Form of Protection in Romania: 147
Type of count generated Flow (period)	Methods Service‑based method
Lead authority(ies) Ministry of Labour, Family, Youth and Social Solidarity	Source(s) of information Social services providers report data to the Ministry of Labour, Family, Youth and Social Solidarity.
Scope National level	Depth of data Enumeration
Frequency Annual
ETHOS Light groups included: ETHOS Light 2: Emergency accommodation (e.g. shelters) ETHOS Light 3: Accommodation for the homeless (e.g. hostels and women’s refuges) Note: Each ETHOS Light group includes one or more sub-categories of living situations. ETHOS Light groups are considered as “included” in the data collection approach if at least one of the sub-categories is counted.
Notes and sources Reports on social inclusion (mmuncii.ro)
6.2. Report from Local Authorities
Description A number of 290 local authorities reported to the Ministry of Labour, Family, Youth and Social Solidarity 6 510 people experiencing homelessness in 2024, according to their own records or those of social services for people experiencing homelessness or police authorities.
Type of count generated Flow (period)	Methods Service‑based method
Lead authority(ies) Ministry of Labour, Family, Youth and Social Solidarity	Source(s) of information Local authorities report data to the Ministry of Labour, Family, Youth and Social Solidarity.
Scope National level	Depth of data Enumeration
Frequency Annual
ETHOS Light groups included: ETHOS Light 1: Living on the streets, in public spaces ETHOS Light 2: Emergency accommodation (e.g. shelters) ETHOS Light 3: Accommodation for the homeless (e.g. hostels and women’s refuges) ETHOS Light 4: People in institutions ETHOS Light 5: People in non-conventional dwellings (e.g. caravans, cars or tents) ETHOS Light 6: Living temporarily with others in conventional housing (e.g. sofa-surfing) Note: Each ETHOS Light group includes one or more sub-categories of living situations. ETHOS Light groups are considered as “included” in the data collection approach if at least one of the sub-categories is counted.
Notes and sources Reports on social inclusion (mmuncii.ro)
6.3. Population and Housing Census
Description All persons with usual residence inside Romania for at least 12 months before the census or having the intention to stay in Romania for at least 12 months were enumerated using face‑to-face interviews with enumerators (including people experiencing homelessness, people living in other housing units and people in institutions). As of 1 December 2021, the number of homeless persons was 475.
Type of count generated Point-in-time	Methods Population census
Lead authority(ies) National Institute for Statistics	Source(s) of information The population provides information through the questionnaire directly to the National Institute for Statistics
Scope National level	Depth of data Key demographic characteristics
Frequency Every 10 years.
ETHOS Light groups included: ETHOS Light 1: Living on the streets, in public spaces ETHOS Light 2: Emergency accommodation (e.g. shelters) ETHOS Light 3: Accommodation for the homeless (e.g. hostels and women’s refuges) ETHOS Light 4: People in institutions ETHOS Light 5: People in non-conventional dwellings (e.g. caravans, cars or tents) ETHOS Light 6: Living temporarily with others in conventional housing (e.g. sofa-surfing) Note: Each ETHOS Light group includes one or more sub-categories of living situations. ETHOS Light groups are considered as “included” in the data collection approach if at least one of the sub-categories is counted.
Notes and sources chestionar-martor_RPL2021_engleza.pdf (recensamantromania.ro)

Please refer to the OECD Affordable Housing Database, indicator HC3.1. Population experiencing homelessness, https://www.oecd.org/content/oecd/en/data/datasets/oecd-affordable-housing-database.html.

This work is issued under the responsibility of the Secretary-General of the OECD, and does not necessarily reflect the official views of OECD Member countries. 

This document was produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Union. 

This document, as well as any data and map included herein, are without prejudice to the status of or sovereignty over any territory, to the delimitation of international frontiers and boundaries and to the name of any territory, city or area. 

  

© OECD 2026 

   Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) 

This work is made available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. By using this work, you accept to be bound by the terms of this licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). 

Attribution – you must cite the work. 

Translations – you must cite the original work, identify changes to the original and add the following text: In the event of any discrepancy between the original work and the translation, only the text of original work should be considered valid. 

Adaptations – you must cite the original work and add the following text: This is an adaptation of an original work by the OECD. The opinions expressed and arguments employed in this adaptation should not be reported as representing the official views of the OECD or of its Member countries. 

Third-party material – the licence does not apply to third-party material in the work. If using such material, you are responsible for obtaining permission from the third party and for any claims of infringement. 

You must not use the OECD logo, visual identity or cover image without express permission or suggest the OECD endorses your use of the work. 

Any dispute arising under this licence shall be settled by arbitration in accordance with the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) Arbitration Rules 2012. The seat of arbitration shall be Paris (France). The number of arbitrators shall be one.