Demographic Resilience in the Rural Area of Romania. A Statistical-Territorial Approach of the Last Hundred Years

Abstract

The deep demographic crisis that Romania has been going through, like most Eastern European states, requires complex analyses. The present study aims at analyzing the numerical evolution of the rural population of Romania, extended for more than 100 years (1912–2020), on the basis of which a multivariate analysis was subsequently performed. The manifestation of specific patterns of territorial evolution and the identification of the incidence of some physical–geographical and socio-economic factors are investigated by means of the dynamics of certain distinct processes, such as rural depopulation or ability to adapt to various transitions. The identification of the fragile and dynamic areas allows discussions on the need for public policies better oriented towards mending excesses, illustrated by the persistence of some gaps, in terms of access to basic services. At the same time, the identification of trends towards a shrinking population system, with an increasingly evident concentration of the population in peri-urban areas or along major transport routes, calls for specific policies geared more towards environmental management in depopulated and depopulating areas, or towards creating the conditions for sustainable spatial planning in high-density areas. For the time being, the disadvantaged areas are rather ignored, while the extension of metropolitan areas is rather chaotic and poorly regulated.