TheRomani diaspora refers to the presence and dispersion ofRomani people across various parts of the world. Their migration out of theIndian subcontinent occurred in waves, with the first estimated to have taken place in the 6th century.^[2][3] They are believed to have first arrived inEurope in the 9th century, via theBalkans.^[4][5][6] Gradually, they came to settle across the areas of present-dayTurkey,Greece,Serbia,Romania,Croatia,Moldova,Bulgaria,North Macedonia,Hungary,Albania,Kosovo,Montenegro,Bosnia and Herzegovina,Slovenia andSlovakia, by order of volume. From the Balkans, they migrated throughout Europe and, in the 19th and later centuries, to theAmericas. The Roma population in the United States is estimated at more than one million.^[7]

Romani people are predominantly found in Europe, particularly in the Balkans, Slovakia andSpain. The total number of Romani people living outside Europe are primarily in the Americas, and are estimated in total at more than two million.^[8][9] Most Romani populations overseas were founded in the 19th century by emigration from Europe. There were Romani people withChristopher Columbus on his third voyage toHispaniola in 1498.^[10] Some countries do not collect data by ethnicity. As of the early 2000s, an estimated 4 to 9 million Romani people lived in Europe andAsia Minor,^[11] although some Romani organizations estimate numbers as high as 14 million.^[12] There is no official or reliable count of the Roma populations worldwide.^[13] Many Roma refuse to register their ethnic identity in official censuses for fear of discrimination.^[14] 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 identify with distinct sub-ethnic groups based in part on territorial, religious, cultural anddialectal differences, and self-designation. The main branches are:^{[15][16][17][18]}

1. Roma, concentrated inCentral and Eastern Europe, but present throughout the continent.
2. Sinti, concentrated inGermany,Austria,Switzerland,France and Italy.
3. Kalderash, concentrated in Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia and Hungary.
4. Calé, concentrated in Spain, but also inPortugal (seeRomani people in Portugal) and southern France.
5. Manouche, concentrated in France andBelgium.
6. Romanlar, in Turkey.
7. Romanichal, in England, theScottish Borders, northeastWales and south Wales.
8. Romanisael, in Sweden andNorway.
9. Gurbeti, concentrated in Turkey, Albania, Bulgaria, Kosovo and Serbia
10. Boyash, concentrated in Romania and Moldova.
11. Ursari, concentrated in Romania and Moldova.
12. Kaale, in Finland and Sweden.
13. Kalé, in Wales.
14. Lovari, concentrated inHungary,Slovakia and theCzech Republic.
15. Sevlengere in Greece and Turkey.
16. Lowland Romani, in theScottish Lowlands.

Part ofa series on
Romani people
Culture Names People
Romani people by sub-group Arlije Bergitka Roma Burgenland Roma Boyash Cascarots Crimean Roma Doma (caste) Gurbeti Kalderash Calé Kaale Kalé Lovari Lăutari Machvaya Romanisael Polska Roma Romanichal Ruska Roma Sevlengere Servitka Roma Sinti Ursari Zargari
Romani diaspora by country Albania Argentina Australia Austria Belarus Belgium Bosnia-Herzegovina Brazil Bulgaria Colombia Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Czechoslovakia Denmark Estonia Finland France Georgia Germany Greece Hungary Ireland Italy Kosovo Latvia Lithuania Mexico Montenegro New Zealand North Macedonia Moldova Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Romania Russia Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Turkey Ukraine (Crimea) United Kingdom United States Uruguay Venezuela
WikiProject
v t e

Romani people have additional internal distinctions, with groups identified as;Xoroxane (Muslim Roma in the Balkans);Xaladytka (Ruska Roma);Bashaldé; Churari; Ungaritza; Machvaya (Machavaya, Machwaya, or Macwaia) inSerbia;Romungro in Hungary and neighbouringCarpathian countries; Erlides (Yerlii, Arli); Argintari fromsilversmiths; Aurari fromgoldsmiths; Florari from florists; andLăutari from singers.

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,^[19] or have assimilated and do not identify exclusively as Romani. In some cases, governments consult Romani organizations for data.

Roma (Gypsy) population by country

Country	Official	Source	Low estimate	High estimate	Note
Albania	8,301	(2011 census)[20]	80,000	150,000	Roma population lives in 71 communes.
Algeria	–	–	2,500	40,000
Angola	–	–	12,000	16,000
Argentina	–	–	300,000	350,000
Australia	775	(2011 census)	5,000	25,000
Austria	6,273	(2001 census)[89]	20,000	50,000
Belarus	6,848	(2019 census)[90]	25,000	70,000	Roma population lives in 104 districts.
Belgium	–	–	20,000	40,000
Bosnia and Herzegovina	12,583	(2013 census)[91]	40,000	76,000	Roma population lives in 92 municipalities. In 3 villages the Roma are the majority.
Brazil	800,000	(2010 census)	680,000	1,000,000	The 2010IBGE Brazilian National Census encountered Romani camps in 291 of Brazil's 5,565 municipalities.
Bulgaria	325,343	(2011 census)[92]	700,000	800,000	Roma population lives in 258 municipalities. In 43 villages and 1 town, the Roma are the majority.
Canada	5,255	(2011 census)[93]	5,000	80,000
Chile	–	–	15,000	20,000
Colombia	4,858	(2005 census)[31]	6,000	8,000
Croatia	16,975	(2011 census)	30,000	40,000
Cyprus	–	–	1,000	1,500
Czech Republic	4,458	(2021 census)	150,000	250,000
Ecuador	–	–	2,000	2,000
Estonia	676	(2021 census)	600	1,500
Denmark	–	–	1,000	4,000
Finland	–	–	10,000	12,000
France	–	–	500,000	1,200,000
Georgia	1,744	(1989 census)[94]	1,500	2,500
Germany	–	–	70,000	140,000
Greece	–	–	100,000	300,000
Hungary	309,632	(2016 census)[95]	600,000	1,000,000
Ireland	30,987	(2016 census)[96]	30,000	42,000
Italy	29,438	(2018 census)[97]	120,000	180,000	Only a minority, estimated at 26,000 people, live in authorized slums. In 148 "formal" slums live 16,400 people, of which 43% are Italian. In the "tolerated" micro-settlement there are 9,600 Roma with Romanian 86% and Bulgarian 14% EU passports.[97]
Kosovo*	35,784	(2011 census)	25,000	50,000	Roma population lives in 29 municipalities. In 3 villages the Roma are the majority.
Latvia	5,082	(2018 statistics)	9,000	16,000
Lithuania	2,251	(2021 census)	2,000	4,000
Luxembourg	–	–	100	500
Mexico	–	–	15,000	50,000
Moldova	9,323	(2014 census)[98]	14,200	200,000	Roma population lives in 35 districts. In 1 village and 2 cities, the Roma are the majority.
Montenegro	6,251	(2011 census)[99]	15,000	25,000
Netherlands	–	–	32,000	48,000
New Zealand	132	(2018 census)	1,500	3,000
North Macedonia	46,433	(2021 census)[100]	134,000	260,000	Roma population lives in 62 municipalities.
Norway	–	–	4,500	15,700
Peru	–	–	8,000	10,000
Poland	12,855	(2002 census)[101]	15,000	50,000
Portugal	–	–	34,000	70,000
Romania	621,573	(2011 census)[102]	1,200,000	2,500,000
Russia	205,007	(2010 census)	450,000	1,200,000
Serbia	147,604	(2011 census)[103]	400,000	800,000	Roma population lives in 115 municipalities.
Slovakia	67,179	(2021 census)[104]	380,000	600,000	Roma population lives in 78 of the districts.
Slovenia	3,246	(2002 census)[105]	7,000	10,000
South Africa	–	–	8,500	10,000
South Ossetia*	6	(2015 census)[106]	15	20
Spain	–	–	500,000	1,100,000
Sweden	–	–	35,000	65,000
Switzerland	–	–	25,000	35,000
Turkey	–	–	500,000	5,000,000
Ukraine	47,587	(2001 census)[84]	120,000	400,000
United Kingdom	63,193	(2011 census)	150,000	300,000
USA	–	–	1,000,000	1,000,000
Uruguay	–	–	2,000	5,000

A significant proportion of the world's Romani people live inCentral andEastern Europe. However, in some cases—notably the Kalderash clan in Romania, who work as traditionalcoppersmiths—they have prospered. Some Roma families choose to immigrate to Western Europe. Many of the former Communist countries like the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania, Hungary and Bulgaria have entered the European Union, and free travel is permitted. During the 1970s and 1980s, many Roma from former Yugoslavia migrated to other European countries, especially Austria,West Germany and Sweden.

Romani people have been living in Albania for more than 600 years.^[107] They arrived from Asia shortly before the Ottoman Turks in the middle of the fifteenth century. They started from India, traveled towards the direction of Persia, Syria, Iraq and through Armenia into the Western Byzantine territories, then through the Balkans into Europe. 1,300-120,000 Roma are estimated to live in Albania.^[108]

Romani people constitute the third largestethnic group (afterBulgarians andTurks) inBulgaria, they are referred to as "цигани" (cigani) or "роми" (romi). According to the 2001 census, there were 370,908 Roma in Bulgaria, equivalent to 4.7% of the country's total population.^[109]

The Romani people of Greece is currently estimated to be between 200,000 and 350,000 people.^[42]

Since 1323 the Romani people are mentioned in Crete. Majority settlement are inNea Alikarnassos,^[110][111]

In the 2011 census, 315,583 people called themselves Roma.^[112] Various estimations put the number of Roma people to be between 500,000 and 1,000,000 people, or 8–10% of Hungary's population.^[113][114]

There is a sizable Romani minority inRomania, known asŢigani inRomanian and, recently, asRromi, of 621,573 people or 3.3% of the total population (2011 census), although theCouncil of Europe estimates the figure to be 1.85 million people or 8.32% of the population.^[115] There exist a variety of governmental and non-governmental programs for integration and social advancement, including the Foundation Policy Center for Roma and Minorities, theNational Agency for the Roma andRomania's participation in theDecade of Roma Inclusion.Albania,Bosnia and Herzegovina,Bulgaria,Croatia,Czech Republic, Hungary,Macedonia,Montenegro,Romania,Serbia,Slovakia, and Spain participate in these programs. As an officially recognized ethnic minority, the Romani people also have guaranteed representation in Parliament.

A large Roma community of east-orthodox Christian faith, are the Basketmakers inGlodeni, their ancestors migrated fromSerbia, settled in Glodeni at the time of theTeleki Dynasty.^[116]

In Russian the Romani people are referred to astzigane. The largest ethnic group of Romani people in Russia are theRuska Roma (also known asXaladytka Roma). They are also the largest group inBelarus. They are adherents of theRussian Orthodox faith.

They came to Russia in the 18th century fromPoland, and their language includesPolish, German, and Russian words.

The Ruska Roma were nomadic horse traders and singers. They traveled during the summer and stayed in cottages of Russian peasants during the winter. They paid for their lodging with money, or with the work of their horses.

In 1812, whenNapoleon I invaded Russia, the Romani diasporas of Moscow andSaint Petersburg gave large sums of money and good horses for the Russian army. Many young Romani men took part in the war asuhlans.

At the end of the 19th century, Rusko RomNikolai Shishkin created a Romani theatre troupe. One of its plays was in theRomani language.

DuringWorld War II some Ruska Roma entered the army, by call-up and as volunteers. They took part in the war as soldiers, officers, infantrymen, tankmen, artillerymen, aviators, drivers, paramedical workers, and doctors. Some teenagers, old men and adult men were also partisans. Romani actors, singers, musicians, dancers (mostly women) performed for soldiers in the front line and in hospitals. A huge number of Roma, including many of the Ruska Roma, died or were murdered in territories occupied by the enemy, in battles, and in the blockade of Leningrad.

After World War II, the music of the Ruska Roma became very popular.Romen Theatre, Romani singers and ensembles prospered. All Romanies living in the USSR began to perceive Ruska Roma culture as the basic Romani culture.

It is estimated that between 10,000 and 12,000 Roma live in Slovenia.^[117]

Kosovan Roma speak either Serbian or Romani as their first language. Most Kosovan Roma are Christian Orthodox, but some practice Islam. 2010 OSCE estimates suggested that there were approximately 34,000 Roma living in Kosovo.^[118]

Roma in Germany are estimated to around 170,000-300,000 individuals, constituting around 0.2-0.4% of the German population.

There are estimated to be around 262,000 Romani people in the Czech Republic, constituting around 2.4% of the total population of the Czech Republic.^[119]

In 2011, 17,049 citizens of Poland identified themselves as Roma. The number of Roma in Poland is estimated to be between 25,000 and 30,000.^[120]

There are estimated to be approximately 400,000 Romani people in Slovakia, constituting around 8% of the total population of Slovakia.^[121]

In the 2021 Croatian Census, 17,980 citizens of Croatia identified themselves as Roma, constituting 0.46% of the total population of Croatia.^[122]

Around 80,000 to 100,000 Roma live inSwitzerland.^[123]

There are about 30,000 Romani people inBelgium. Romani citizens of Belgium are generally described as Roms, Manouches or Sinti, while others may use additional names.^[124]

Romanies in Spain are generally known asGitanos and tend to speakCaló, a kind ofAndalusian Spanish with a large number of Romaniloanwords.^[125] Estimates of the Spanish Gitano population range between 600,000 and 1,500,000 with the Spanish government estimating between 650,000 and 700,000.^[126] Semi-nomadicQuinqui consider themselves apart from the Gitanos.

Romanies inPortugal are known asCiganos, and their presence goes back to the second half of the 15th century. Early on, due to their socio-cultural difference and nomadic style of live, the Ciganos were the object of fierce discrimination and persecution.^[127]

The number ofCiganos in Portugal is difficult to estimate, since there are no official statistics about race or ethnic categories. According to data fromCouncil of Europe'sEuropean Commission against Racism and Intolerance^[128] there are about 40,000 to 50,000 spread all over the country.^[129] According to the Portuguese branch ofAmnesty International, there are about 30,000 to 50,000.^[130]

Romanies are generally known in spoken French asManouches orTsiganes.Romanichels orGitans are consideredpejorative andBohémiens is outdated. Traditionally referred to asgens du voyage ("traveling people"), a term still occasionally used by the media, they are today generally referred to asRoms orRroms.^[131] By law, French municipalities over 5,000 inhabitants have the obligation to allocate a piece of land to Romani travellers when they arrive.^[132]

Approximately 500,000 Romani people live in France as part of established communities. Additionally, the French Roma rights groupFNASAT reports that there are at least 12,000 Roma, primarily from Romania and Bulgaria, living in illegal urban camps throughout the country. French authorities often close down these encampments. In 2009, the government returned more than 10,000 Roma illegal immigrants to Romania and Bulgaria.^[133] In the summer of 2012, with mounting criticism of theirdeportation of Roma migrants, French key ministers met for emergency talks on the handling of an estimated 15,000 Roma living in camps across France. They proposed to lift restrictions on migrants (including Roma) from Bulgaria and Romania who were working in France.^[134]

Romani in Italy are generally known aszingaro (with the pluralzingari), a word also used to describe a scruffy or slovenly person or a tinker. The word is likely of Greek origin meaning "untouchables", compare the modern Greek designations Τσιγγάνοι (Tsingánoi), Αθίγγανοι (Athínganoi). People often use the term "Rom", although the people preferRomani (in ItalianRomanì), which is little used. They are sometimes called "nomads", although many live in settled communities.

Approximately 37,500 Roma reside in the Netherlands (0.24% of the Dutch population).^[135]

Approximately 300 Romani people live inLuxembourg (0.06% of the population).^[136]

Romani subgroups inNorthern Europe include:

1. Romanichal in England (As well as northeast Wales, south Wales and the Scottish borders), with diaspora communities in the United States, Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.
2. Romanisæl in Norway (particularly central Norway) and Sweden.
3. Scottish Lowland Romani in the Scottish Lowlands.
4. Kale in Wales, particularly in the northwest.
5. Kaale in Finland and parts of Sweden.

Romani who have resided in Northern Europe for centuries have much European ancestry and thus may appear indistinguishable to the indigenous peoples of the region. This is due to their ancestors mixing heavily with indigenous Traveller groups (the Romani in Britain mixed with Irish Travellers, Scottish Highland Travellers and Funfair Travellers while Romani in Scandinavia mixed with Indigenous Norwegian Travellers) and even non-Travellers over the centuries.

It is also a reason why these groups speak mixed languages rather than more purer forms ofRomani:

• Romanichal speakAngloromani (a mix of English and Romani).
• Romanisæl speakScandoromani (a mix of Norwegian, Swedish and Romani).
• Scottish Lowland Romani speakScottish Cant (a mix of Scots and Romani).
• Kale speakKalá (a mix of Welsh, English and Romani).
• Kaale speakKalo (a mix of Finnish and Romani).

TheCouncil of Europe estimates that there are around 5,500 Romani living inDenmark (0.1% of the population).^[137]

The Romani population inEstonia is small. The official number of Romani people in Estonia is 584 with the average estimate of 1,250, and Romani people are estimated to make up 0.1% of the population. The oldest data on Romani people in Estonia date back to the year 1533.^[138]

Romani families from Romania, Bulgarian and Poland have been living and working inIceland as part of the East European labour migrant communities.^[139]

Romani people in England, Scotland and Wales generally call themselves “Gypsies”, “Romani Gypsies”, “Romanies” or “Romani”.

Romanichal are found in England (As well as South Wales, Northeast Wales and the Scottish Borders), and they speakAngloromani.

Kale are found in Wales, especially the Welsh-speaking parts of Northwestern Wales, and they speakWelsh Kalá.

Scottish Lowland Romani are found in theScottish Lowlands. They speakScottish Cant.

Romani have been recorded in the UK since at least the early 16th century. Records of Romani people in Scotland date to the early 16th century.

Many Romanichal emigrated to the British colonies and to the United States during the centuries. Romani number around 300,000 in the UK. This includes the sizable population of Eastern European Roma, who immigrated into the UK in the late 1990s/early 2000s, and also after EU expansion in 2004.

The first recorded reference to "the Egyptians" appeared to be in 1492, during the reign ofJames IV, when an entry in the Book of the Lord High Treasurer records a payment "to Peter Ker of four shillings, to go to the king at Hunthall, to get letters subscribed to the 'King of Rowmais'". Two days after, a payment of twenty pounds was made at the king's command to the messenger of the 'King of Rowmais'.^[140]

According to the Scottish Traveller Education Programme, an estimated 20,000 Romani people and Travellers live in Scotland.^[141] this includes Scottish Lowland Romani, Indigenous Scottish Lowland Travellers, Irish Travellers, Funfair Travellers (Showman) as well as Eastern European Roma.

In some parts of the UK, the Romani may be referred to as "tinkers" because of their traditional trade as tinsmiths.

Irish Travellers,Scottish Highland Travellers andFunfair Travellers (Showman) are non-Romani Travelling groups found in the United Kingdom.

The Kaale Romani in Finland are known inFinnish asmustalaiset ('blacks', cf.Romani:kalò, 'black') orromanit. Approximately 10,000 Romani live in Finland, mostly in theHelsinki Metropolitan Area.^[142] In Finland, many Romani people wear their traditional dress in daily life.^[143] Kaale speakFinnish Kalo.

Romanisæl are the Romani subgroup of Sweden and Norway. They speakScandoromani.

Recently the termromer has been adopted as a collective designation which encompasses Romanisæl and Eastern European Roma migrant communities.

Approximately 120,000 Romani live in Sweden,^[144] including 65,000~ Romanisæl, 3,000~ Kaale, who have migrated from Finland since the 1960s,^[145] and 50,000~ Eastern European Roma, who have only started to immigrate to Sweden and Norway in recent years.

Romanisæl in Sweden have periodically suffered discrimination at the hands of the state. For example, the state has taken children into foster care, or sterilised Romani women without their consent. Prejudice against Romani is widespread, with most stereotypes portraying the Romani as welfare cheats, shoplifters, and con artists. For example, in 1992,Bert Karlsson, a leader ofNy Demokrati, said, "Gypsies are responsible for 90% of crime against senior citizens" in Sweden.^[146] He had earlier tried to ban Romani from hisSkara Sommarland theme park, as he thought they were thieves. Some shopkeepers, employers and landlords continue to discriminate against Romani.^[147]

The situation is improving. Several Romani organisations promote education about Romani rights and culture in Sweden. Since 2000,Romanichib is an officially recognised minority language in Sweden. The Swedish government has established a special standing Delegation for Romani Issues. A Romanifolk high school has been founded inGothenburg.^[148]

The Romani people are one of the oldest ethnic minorities in Latvia. According to the Office for Citizenship and Migration Affairs there were 7,456 Romani living in Latvia as of 1 January 2017, comprising 0.3% of the total population.^[149]

According to The Department of Statistics under the Government of the Republic of Lithuania, in 2011 general population and housing census data shows that 2,115 Romani people lived in Lithuania. They are concentrated inVilnius,Kaunas,Šiauliai,Panevėžys andŠalčininkai in Lithuania. Kirtimai is the largest Romani settlement in Vilnius.^[150]

One route taken by the medieval proto-Romani cut across Indian Subcontinent to Roman Egypt andAsia Minor to Europe. Numerous Romani continue to live in Asia Minor.^[151] Other Romani populations in the Middle East are the result of modern migrations from Europe. Also found in the Middle East are various groups of theDom people, often also identified as "gypsies". They are derived from a migration out of India between the 7th and 10th centuries.^[2][3]

Approximately 1,500 Roma are registered inGeorgia. They primarily live inTbilisi andGachiani.^[152]

Historians estimate that the first immigrants came between 1322 and 1400, when Cyprus was under the rule of theLusignan (Crusader) kings. These Roma were part of a general movement fromAsia Minor to Europe. Those who landed on Cyprus probably came across from the Crusader colonies on the eastern Mediterranean coast.^[153]

There is no evidence suggesting one cause for the Roma to leave mainland Asia, but historical events caused widespread upheaval and may have prompted a move to the island. In 1347 theBlack Death had reachedConstantinople, the capital of theByzantine Empire; in 1390 theTurks defeated theGreek kingdom in Asia; and ten years later, theBattle of Aleppo marked the advance of theMongols underTamerlane.

The first surviving written record of Roma in Cyprus is from 1468. In theChronicle of Cyprus compiled by Florio Bustron, theCingani are said to have paid tax to the royal treasury, at that time underKing James II. Later, in 1549, the French traveler Andre Theret found "lesEgyptiens ouBohemiens" in Cyprus and otherMediterranean islands. He noted their simple way of life, supported by the production of nails by the men and belts by the women, which they sold to the local population.

During theMiddle Ages, Cyprus was on a regular shipping route fromBari, Italy to theHoly Land. Second immigration likely took place sometime after the Turks dominated the island in 1571. SomeKalderash came in the 19th century.

Currently, Muslim Roma in Cyprus refer to themselves asGurbeti, and their language asKurbetcha, although most no longer speak it.Christian orGreek-speaking Roma are known asMantides.^[154]

According to the Council of Europe there are 1000–1500 (0.16%) Romanis living in Cyprus .^[155]

• Tsinganos: the official term used inGreek documents and written material. It comes from the termCingani (used in the 1468 text), which in turn comes from the archaic wordAdsincan, used in mediaeval Byzantium.
• Yiftos: theCypriot dialect form of mainland GreekYiftos. This is common in speech and comes from earlierAigiptos, a reference to the earlier belief that the Romanies came fromEgypt.^[153]
• Gurbeti: the local term used by Turkish-speaking Cypriots, a Roma group ofDoms which is also present in Syria.^[156]

(For additional names of Roma in Greek-speaking Cyprus, seeRoma in Greece)

Romani people in Turkey are generally known asRomanlar,Çingene,Çingen, orÇingan, as well asÇingit (West Black Sea region),Kıptî (meaningCoptic), Şopar (Kırklareli),Romanlar (İzmir)^[157] andGipleri (derived from the term "Egyptian"). Music,blacksmithing and other handicrafts are their main occupations. The Romani population in Turkey is most concentrated in the west of the country, particularlyEast Thrace.^[158]Turkish tends to be the mother tounge of the Roma in Turkey but some also speak the Romani language.^[159]

Most Romani people in the Americas speak English, French, Spanish or Portuguese.^[160]

At the beginning of the 19th century, the first major Romani group, theRomanichal from Great Britain, arrived in North America, although some had also immigrated during the colonial era. They settled primarily in the United States, which was then more established than most English-speaking communities in Upper Canada. Later immigrants also settled in Canada.

The ancestors of the majority of the contemporary local Romani population in the United States started to immigrate during the second half of the century, from Eastern Europe, drawn by opportunities for industrial jobs. Among these groups were theRomani-speaking peoples such as theKalderash,Machvaya,Lovari and Churari, as well as groups who had adopted theRomanian language, such as theBoyash (Ludari). Most arrived either directly from Romania after their liberation fromslavery between 1840 and 1850, or after a short-period in neighboring states, such asRussia,Serbia,Hungary orBulgaria. The Bashalde arrived from what is nowSlovakia (then part of Austria-Hungary) about the same time. Many settled in the major industrial cities of the era.^[161]

Immigration from Eastern Europe decreased drastically in the post-World War II era, during the years ofCommunist rule. It resumed in the 1990s after the fall of Communism. Romani organizations estimate that there are about one million Romani in the United States.^[162]

AnAfro-Romani population exists in centralCuba.^[163]

England banished Romani people toBarbados during the colonial era. According to folklore, the Romani population intermarried with the localIndian population.^[164]

According to the2006 Canadian census, there were 2,590 Canadians of full or partial Romani descent.^[165]

According to data collected by theInstituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía, the Romani in Mexico numbered 15,850,^[166] however, the total number is likely larger.^[166]

During theearly modern era, Romani slaves were transported toEuropean colonies in the Caribbean from the 15th to 18th centuries. The first Romani slaves to arrive in the Caribbean came as part of thethird voyage ofChristopher Columbus in 1498. In 1793, writer John Moreton noted in his workWest India Customs and Manners that many Romani inJamaica worked asprostitutes.^[167]

The Romani people in Argentina number more than 300,000. They traditionally support themselves by trading used cars and selling their jewelry, while travelling all over the country.^[168]

Romani groups settled the Brazilian states ofEspírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro andMinas Gerais primarily in the late 19th century. The Machvaya came from present-day Serbia (then Austria-Hungary), the Kalderash from Romania, theLovari from Italy, and theHorahane from Greece and Turkey.^[169] Initially, the Romani people in Brazil were believed to be descended from ancestors who were exiled in the colony by thePortuguese Inquisition but more has been learned about the peoples. The current Roma population is estimated to be 600,000. Most are descended from ethnic Kalderash, Macwaia, Rudari, Horahane, and Lovara.

A sizeable population of Romani people live in Chile. As they continue their traditions and language, they are a distinct minority who are widely recognized. Many continue semi-nomadic lifestyles, travelling from city to city and living in small tented communities. A Chileantelenovela calledRomane was based on the Romani people. It portrayed their lifestyles, ideas and occasionally featured the Chilean-born actors speaking in the Romani language, with subtitles in Spanish.

The first Romani people in Colombia are thought to have come from Spain and were formerly known asEgipcios settling primarily in the Departments ofSantander,Norte de Santander,Atlántico,Tolima,Antioquia,Sucre,Bogotá D.C. and in smaller numbers in the Departments ofBolívar,Nariño andValle del Cauca.^[170]

In 1999, the Colombian Government recognized the Romani people as a national ethnic minority, and today, around 8,000 Roma are present in Colombia. Theirlanguage has been officially recognized as a minority language.^[171]

Romani people have been in Ecuador since the late 1800s and early 1900s. Ecuadorian Roma live in the provinces of Carchi, Imbabura, Cotopaxi, Pichincha, Tungurahua, Chimborazo, El Oro, Manab and El Guayas. It is estimated that there are 1,000 Roma in Ecuador.^[172]

There is a Romani community inLima.^[173]

There is a significant Romani population inVenezuela^[174] with most being of theCale vitsa. Most came in migration fromSpain,Portugal, orFrance due to persecution. With them, they broughtflamenco and theCaló language and opened schools of dance inMaracaibo,Caracas, andValencia. A large amount ofJudeo-Kale also came to Venezuela, some during the Spanish inquisition, others fleeing from Anti-Roma laws in Spain. A population of around 5,000Kalderash andBoyash Roma live in Venezuela as well.

Historical records confirm the presence of Romani people inSudan,Mauritania andAbyssinia.^[175]

In spite of a ban introduced in 1720, a number of Romani families arrived in the country during the time when Angola was a Portuguese colony. It is unlikely the community survived to the present day.^[176]

A small number ofKalderash live in South Africa.^[176]

Romani people were banished toCape Verde from Portugal.^[177]

Romani people were exiled from Portugal toSão Tomé and Príncipe.^[178]

There is a small Romani population in Australia.^[179]

A small Romani community exists inNew Zealand. There are an estimated 1,500–3,000 Roma individuals in New Zealand.^[180][181]

• Roma Route
• List of Romani people
• List of Romani settlements
• History of the Romani people
• South Asian diaspora

Wikimedia Commons has media related toRomani people by country.

• Names of the Romani People
• Opre Roma: Gypsies in Canada
• president Nicolas Ramanush / Brazil.
• Roma Rights Network – Roma Rights Map
• Are the Roma Primitive, or Just Poor? {Plus its 10/24 NYTimes Letters to the Editor: The Rancor Against Roma in Europe]

• Romani people by country
• Romani communities
• Romani groups
• Romani by country
• European diasporas
• Diasporas by ethnic group
• Indian diaspora

• Webarchive template wayback links
• CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown
• CS1 maint: archived copy as title
• CS1 Bulgarian-language sources (bg)
• CS1 Portuguese-language sources (pt)
• CS1 Swedish-language sources (sv)
• CS1 Spanish-language sources (es)
• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Use dmy dates from January 2020
• Articles containing Romani-language text
• Commons category link is on Wikidata