Number of Children Up to Age of 17 Living in Romania Down by 80,700

The number of children between the ages of 0-17 living in Romania was, on January 1, 2024, 3.796 million, down by 80,700 compared to the same period of the previous year, according to the data published by the National Institute of Statistics (INS ), on the occasion of International Children’s Day. In 2023, the number of live births registered at civil status offices in Romania was 155,400 children, the lowest number from 1930 until now.

On January 1, 2024, the number of children aged 0-17 living in Romania was 3,796,400, down by 80,700 compared to last year. The share of minors in the total population by domicile was, on January 1, 2024, 17.4%, decreasing compared to previous years.

In recent years, the share of boys in the population segment younger than 18 was higher (51.4%) than that of girls of the same age; the male ratio was 1,057 boys to 1,000 girls.

In 2023, the fertility rate decreased compared to previous years, reaching 30.7 live births per 1000 women of childbearing age (15-49 years). The highest birth rates, recorded in 2023, were in the Northwest (8 live births per 1,000 inhabitants) and Center (7.7 live births per 1,000 inhabitants) regions, and the lowest birth rates were – registered in the South-East (6.4 live births per 1,000 inhabitants) and South-West Oltenia regions (6.3 live births per 1,000 inhabitants).

At the beginning of the 2023/2024 school year, the school population was 3,466,500, included in an education network with 7,102 units and 245,000 teaching staff. Of the total school population, the number of children in nurseries and kindergartens was 547,700, of primary and secondary school students was 1,597,500, and of those in high school education was 602,000.

For the same reference period, the degree of inclusion in education of the school-age population was 70.3%.

Of the total number of enrolled students, 2,190,700 were in full-time education.