Abstract
There are around 9 million Roma in Europe. The biggest community is in Romania (2,500,000 people, representing 13% of the population). 800,000 live in Bulgaria; 650,000 in Hungary and 520,000 in Slovakia, representing 8% of the population. The Roma people throughout Europe often share the same living conditions. Too many Roma live in poverty with little education, afflicted by unemployment and poor health. Most Roma people are corralled into settlements that put them at the edge of society. Villages are often located near railways; the road to go there is unpaved. People live in self-built, mud-floored huts with seven people in a room.
