it en

Who are they - In the World and in Italy

Download Interviewee Biographies

In The World

• 16 million: The Romani people are present in every continent.

• 11 million in Europe.

• They are not nomads: 85-90% of the Roma and Sinti people in Europe are not nomads.

• 700 years of European history: The majority of Roma and Sinti people are citizens of the country in which they live.

The Roma and Sinti People in Italy

• Population: They represent just 0.23% of Italy’s population.

• 50% are Italian citizens.

• Not a nomadic population: Only 2-3% of the Roma and Sinti people are nomads.

• A young population: 60% of the Roma and Sinti people are under 18 years of age.

April 8: the Romano Dives

• International Romani Day: Established to commemorate the first World Romani Congress held in London in 1971, where it was decided to officially designate the Romani nation by the term ‘Roma’, meaning ‘man’.

Religion

• In the world: In general, Roma and Sinti people practice the religion of the country in which they live.

• In Italy: Roma and Sinti people in Italy are mostly Catholic, though a sizable number of Sinti people have become Evangelicals in recent years. Part of the Roma people in the former Yugoslavia and in Romania are Orthodox, whereas the Bosnian, Macedonian, and Kosovar Roma are mainly Muslim.