The city with the biggest decline in the number of inhabitants over the last nine years is Roman (Neamt county) – from almost 70,000 in 2002 to 47,000 people in 2011, down by around 32%.
Beside the deindustrialization Romania has been facing for more than 20 years and which largely contributes to the population decline, as the number of jobs declines, migration is another factor leading to population shrinkage. Over the past few years, the number of Romanians working abroad has reached over 3 million.
(English version by Daniela Stoican)
How the population of Romania’s 100 largest cities has evolved in the last nine years:
| City | No of inhabitants 2011 | No of inhabitants 2002 | Change |
| Bucharest | 1677985 | 1926334 | -12.9 |
| Cluj Napoca | 309136 | 317953 | -2.8 |
| Timisoara (Timis) | 303708 | 317660 | -4.4 |
| Iasi | 263410 | 320888 | -17.9 |
| Constanta | 254693 | 310471 | -18.0 |
| Craiova | 243675 | 302601 | -19.5 |
| Galati | 231204 | 298861 | -22.6 |
| Brasov (Brasov) | 227961 | 284596 | -19.9 |
| Ploiesti | 197522 | 232527 | -15.1 |
| Oradea | 183123 | 206614 | -11.4 |
| Braila (Braila) | 168389 | 216292 | -22.1 |
| Pitesti | 148264 | 166637* | -11.0 |
| Arad (Arad) | 147922 | 165477* | -10.6 |
| Sibiu | 137026 | 154892 | -11.5 |
| Bacau (Bacau) | 133460 | 175500 | -24.0 |
| Targu Mures | 127849 | 150041 | -14.8 |
| Baia Mare (Maramures) | 114925 | 137921 | -16.7 |
| Buzau (Buzau) | 108384 | 134227 | -19.3 |
| Botosani (Botosani) | 100890 | 115070 | -12.3 |
| Satu Mare | 94948 | 115142 | -17.5 |
| Ramnicu Valcea | 92573 | 107726 | -14.1 |
| Drobeta Turnu Severin | 86475 | 104557 | -17.3 |
| Suceava | 86282 | 105865 | -18.5 |
| Targu Jiu | 78547 | 96641 | -18.7 |
| Piatra Neamt | 77393 | 104914 | -26.2 |
| Targoviste | 73964 | 89930 | -17.8 |
| Focsani | 73868 | 101854 | -27.5 |
| Bistrita (Bistrita-Nasaud) | 70493 | 81259 | -13.2 |
| Tulcea (Tulcea) | 66650 | 91875 | -27.5 |
| Resita | 65509 | 84026 | -22.0 |
| Slatina | 63524 | 78815 | -19.4 |
| Alba Iulia (Alba) | 58681 | 66406 | -11.6 |
| Calarasi | 57118 | 73020* | -21.8 |
| Deva | 56647 | 69257 | -18.2 |
| Hunedoara | 55384 | 71257 | -22.3 |
| Giurgiu | 54655 | 69345 | -21.2 |
| Sfantu Gheorghe | 54312 | 61543 | -11.7 |
| Zalau (Salaj) | 53308 | 62927 | -15.3 |
| Vaslui (Vaslui) | 50935 | 70571 | -27.8 |
| Barlad (Vaslui) | 49929 | 69066 | -27.7 |
| Roman | 47304 | 69268 | -31.7 |
| Medias | 44169 | 55153 | -19.9 |
| Turda (Cluj) | 43472 | 55887 | -22.2 |
| Slobozia | 43061 | 52710 | -18.3 |
| Alexandria (Teleorman) | 42129 | 50496 | -16.6 |
| Voluntari (Ilfov) | 38680 | 33438* | 15.7 |
| Miercurea Ciuc | 37980 | 42029 | -9.6 |
| Lugoj | 37321 | 44636 | -16.4 |
| Medgidia | 36008 | 43841 | -17.9 |
| Onesti | 36004 | 51416 | -30.0 |
| Sighetu Marmatiei | 35347 | 41220 | -14.2 |
| Petrosani | 34331 | 45195 | -24.0 |
| Mangalia | 33434 | 40150 | -16.7 |
| Odorheiu Secuiesc | 33265 | 36948 | -10.0 |
| Campina | 31770 | 38789 | -18.1 |
| Dej | 31702 | 38437 | -17.5 |
| Reghin | 31657 | 36126 | -12.4 |
| Pascani | 31568 | 42057 | -24.9 |
| Navodari | 31554 | 32390 | -2.6 |
| Ramnicu Sarat | 31256 | 38828 | -19.5 |
| Tecuci (Galati) | 31045 | 42094 | -26.2 |
| Mioveni | 30644 | 34081* | -10.1 |
| Campulung | 30025 | 36774* | -18.4 |
| Caracal (Olt) | 28673 | 34625 | -17.2 |
| Fagaras | 28330 | 36121 | -21.6 |
| Fetesti | 27122 | 33294 | -18.5 |
| Borsa (Maramures) | 27108 | 26984 | 0.5 |
| Sacele (Brasov) | 26907 | 29915 | -10.1 |
| Sighisoara | 26370 | 32304 | -18.4 |
| Curtea de Arges | 26133 | 32835* | -20.4 |
| Husi (Vaslui) | 25000 | 29510 | -15.3 |
| Falticeni | 24619 | 29787 | -17.3 |
| Rosiori de Vede | 24222 | 31849 | -23.9 |
| Sebes | 24165 | 27698 | -12.8 |
| Pantelimon | 23309 | 19972* | 16.7 |
| Vulcan (Hunedoara) | 22906 | 29740 | -23.0 |
| Oltenita | 22768 | 27285* | -16.6 |
| Dorohoi | 22600 | 30949 | -27.0 |
| Aiud | 22495 | 28934 | -22.3 |
| Turnu Magurele | 22268 | 30089 | -26.0 |
| Radauti | 22145 | 27633 | -19.9 |
| Lupeni | 21986 | 30642 | -28.2 |
| Buftea (Ilfov) | 21960 | 20350 | 7.9 |
| Caransebes | 21932 | 28301 | -22.5 |
| Floresti (Cluj) | 21832 | 12.000* | 81.9 |
| Zarnesti (Brasov) | 21681 | 25299 | -14.3 |
| Petrila | 21373 | 25840 | -17.3 |
| Moinesti | 20855 | 24210 | -13.9 |
| Tarnaveni | 20685 | 26654 | -22.4 |
| Campia Turzii | 20677 | 26823 | -22.9 |
| Popesti Leordeni | 20215 | 16169 | 25.0 |
| Gherla | 20203 | 24083 | -16.1 |
| Carei | 20181 | 23182 | -12.9 |
| Cugir | 20119 | 25977 | -22.6 |
| Blaj | 20026 | 20765 | -3.6 |
| Codlea | 19836 | 24286 | -18.3 |
| Comanesti | 18390 | 23679 | -22.3 |
| Targu Neamt | 18232 | 20496 | -11.0 |
| Motru | 18142 | 22967 | -21.0 |
| Targu Secuiesc | 18082 | 20488 | -11.7 |
| Total | 8157994 | 9092737 | -10.3 |
Note: data on the number of inhabitants correspond to 2009
Sources: National Institute of Statistics, city halls