Roma in Europe – socio-economic situation and well-being

Sabine Springer, European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA)

Roma are the largest minority in Europe and mostly known through headlines mentioning poverty, discrimination and expulsions. In 2011 the European Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) conducted a survey in 11 EU Member States (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and Spain) on the most visible and margenalised part of the Roma population, those living in segregated areas or in high concentration in specific parts of towns or villages. Information was collected on the socio-economic situation, on discrimination experiences, rights awareness and integration. For benchmarking purposes, non-Roma living close by were also covered by the survey. The survey also asked Roma to position their current and their future life, five years from now, on a 11 point scale, between the best and the worst possible life. This paper looks at the socioeconomic situation of this large minority, and the factors influencing their appreciation of their current life, as well as the perspective of an improvement of their situation. Particular attention is paid to cross-country comparisons, but also to comparisons with their closest non-Roma neighbours.