Gypsies growing minority
From correspondents in Bratislava
01-02-2005
From: Agence France-Presse
From correspondents in Bratislava
01-02-2005
From: Agence France-Presse
GYPSIES in central and eastern Europe are a young and growing minority in the midst of ageing national populations.
In Slovakia, the gypsy, or Roma, population has grown from 250,000 people, or 4 per cent of the population, to 400,000 people, a full 7 per cent of the population, according to data from the Slovakian center for demographic research.
The gypsy minority is young but life expectancy is
lower than in the general population - three years less in Slovakia and seven
years less in Romania.
In Bulgaria, only 10.6 per cent of the country's
gypsies are older than 60 compared with 35.1 per cent for the general
population, a survey carried out last November showed.
In Hungary, 36 per cent of gypsies are younger than
14, compared with a figure of 16 per cent for the general population, according
to the last census in 2001.
And only 4 per cent of gypsies in Hungary are older
than 60, compared with 21.1 per cent for the general population, the census
said.
Slovakian population expert Boris Vano said gypsies
isolated in villages also have higher birth rates than the general population
which along with their shorter life expectancies indicate a profile similar to
that for people in poor, developing countries.
But when the gypsies are integrated into society
their birthrates and life expectancies fall into line with the general
population.
The importance of helping the gypsies is shown by
the size of their population, with there believed to be many more Roma than are
officially declared.
In Romania, the official number of gypsies is given
as 535,000 but several associations say the Roma number at least 1.5
million.
A report by the EU in 2004 estimated the number of
gypsies in all of Europe as about 10 million, and perhaps even 12
million.
"Despite demographic uncertainties, there is little
doubt that the total number of Roma in Europe is many times greater than the
total population of a number of (EU) member states." the report said.
Copyright 2005 News Limited
Vali
EuroAtlantic Club: http://www.europe.org.ro/euroatlantic_club/
***
Birou de traduceri autorizate. Oana Gheorghiu - tel/fax: 252.8681 / [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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