📜 A long story
Romania, 1800 → today
Romania grew from 5.5 million in 1800 to 19.1 million; a newborn can expect 33.9 more years of life than in 1932, and output per person is 33× its 1862 level, adjusted for inflation.
Told with long-run reconstructions, not the yearly series used elsewhere on the site: each chapter names its source. Scroll to move through the years.
☺ Chapter 1 · Population
How many people live there?
1800
In 1800, about 5.5 million people lived in Romania.
1900
11 million people.
2× the 1800 level
Reached twice the 1800 level in 1900.
1950
16.4 million people.
1.5× the 1900 level
2023
19.1 million people, the latest year in this series.
1.2× the 1950 level
Long-run series: before 1950, reconstructions by HYDE and Gapminder, filled in between benchmark years by those sources. Log scale: equal steps up mean equal growth rates.
✚ Chapter 2 · Life expectancy
How long do people live?
1932
In 1932, a newborn in Romania could expect to live 42 years, on average.
2023
75.9 years, the latest year in this series.
+34 years since 1932
Passed 50 and 60 years in 1950 (no data between 1932 and 1950, so it may have happened earlier).
Passed 70 years in 1991.
Long-run series: before 1950, historical estimates (Riley, Clio Infra, Human Mortality Database), only for years they cover. Dashed stretches are years without data.
◎ Chapter 3 · GDP per person (PPP)
How much is produced per person?
1862
In 1862, Romania produced about Int$787 per person, in 2011 prices.
1900
Int$1,410.
1.8× the 1862 level
1950
Int$1,880.
1.3× the 1900 level
Reached twice the 1862 level in 1906.
The sharpest fall in the data: down 50% between 1943 and 1946 (Int$1,710 → Int$853).
2022
Int$26,200, the latest year in this series.
14× the 1950 level
Reached 5 times the 1862 level in 1966.
Reached 10 times the 1862 level in 2002.
Reached 20 times the 1862 level in 2008.
Long-run series (Maddison Project) in 2011 international dollars: adjusted for inflation, so not the same unit as today’s PPP figure. Log scale: equal steps up mean equal growth rates.
❦ Chapter 4 · CO₂ per person
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
1858
In 1858, fossil fuels and industry in Romania emitted about 0.00043 t of CO₂ per person.
1900
0.1 t.
260× the 1858 level
Reached twice the 1858 level in 1862.
Reached 5 times the 1858 level in 1867.
Reached 10 times the 1858 level in 1871.
Reached 20 times the 1858 level, reached 50 times the 1858 level in 1882.
1950
1.2 t.
10× the 1900 level
The sharpest fall in the data: down 65% between 1913 and 1917 (0.6 t → 0.2 t).
2024
3.6 t, the latest year in this series.
3.1× the 1950 level
Long-run series: fossil CO₂ emitted within each country’s borders (Global Carbon Budget); early estimates are less certain. Log scale: equal steps up mean equal growth rates.
☕ Chapter 5 · Years of schooling
How long do people go to school?
1870
In 1870, people aged 15–64 in Romania had spent 0.1 years in school, on average.
1900
0.3 years.
+0.17 years since 1870
1950
4.5 years.
+4.2 years since 1900
Passed 2 years in 1925.
Passed 4 years in 1950.
2015
11.1 years, the latest year in this series.
+6.6 years since 1950
Passed 6 years in 1970.
Passed 8 years in 1975.
Passed 10 years in 1995.
Long-run series (Lee & Lee, Barro & Lee) for people aged 15–64, every 5 years until 2015: a different age group than today’s figure (25 and older).