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Some accurate Roma statistics - Hungary 1900-2004
Hector McNeill1
The Hungarian Academy of Sciences, in 1989 published some statistics on Roma populations in Hungary based on work by county council Gypsy co-ordination committees. This work was undertaken between 1984 and 1987. The importance of this work derives from the fact that the data collected did not rely upon self-declaration by the public as to their ethnicity but rather on a statistical survey to estimate actual numbers carried out by people with local knowledge.
At that time it was estimated that there were some 420,000 Roma in Hungary.
Growth in population
The Academy is on record as noting that this population represented a seven fold increase during the previous century (100 years). This confirms estimates by the European Committee on Romani Emancipation of a cumulative population growth rate of some 2% p.a. and it ties in with figures of around 60,000-70,000 Gypsies within the current Hungarian boundaries estimated by various source at the end of the previous century mentioned by other authors.
Over 75% of the Hungarian Roma population is Romungro. The Romungro are the Roma who have been settled in Hungary for in excess of 600 years and they have a significant component who are of mixed decent. Their appearance varies from that of mainstream Hungarian, including blue eyes and light hair to more typical darker skin, brown eyes and black hair. There is therefore always an under estimation of the numbers of Romungro as a result of observers not realising that many they consider to be mainstream are in fact Romungro. As a result there is a persistent error in Hungarian statistics related to the fact that a percentage of Romungro do not have typical Cigány features. Even survey personnel are unaware of their being Cigány, and would only know if they were told, and often they are not. This leads to underestimation of true figures by a factor of something like 20%
If a one time adjustment is made for this under-estimation then the 1984 population figure can be established at around 504,000.
By projecting this population forward using the same long term growth rate, the population for 2004 is projected to be some 749,000 (750,000). Updating this to 2006 gives a figure of 780,000.
Population distribution
As can be seen clearly from the map, the Cigány society is largely rural. Budapest and urban centres tend to have very low concentrations of Cigány and the South Centre and the North West almost have almost no Cigány at all.
Most urban centres, including Budapest, tend to have a percentage of Cigány of around 5.5%-7.75% . On the other hand in the areas of concentration, the Cigány make up around 30% of the population in many rural areas and, in some areas, are some exceed 50% of the population. In basic terms, the overall social culture of urban life in Hungary is in marked contrast to rural village settings in terms of the ethnic mixture.
A declining population growth rate of non-Cigány or mainstream (currently negative) and the movement of younger non-Cigány from rural regions is resulting in an increasing percentage of rural society and village dwellers being made up of Cigány.
SEEL Report: 2003 (105) Series: Decision analysis in economic development
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The word cess is an old English term for tax or fiscal buden
1 Hector McNeill is the Systems Co-ordinator at the Systems Engineering Economics Lab, Portsea Isle, Hampshire.