Adding up is something completely beyond Hungarian politicians... Roma - Statistical nonsense Since 1992 Hungary has been giving the population of the Roma as being between 350,000 to 500,000. During the pre-accession period, for some reason they even reduced these figures. Some official statistics even say the percentage Roma in the population is 2%. This is statistical nonsense. By applying the most conservative annual population growth rate for Roma of some 2% per annum and applying this to the most accurate field surveys available, a study by SEEL and supported by ECRE, has estimated that the current (2006) population of Roma in Hungary is over 780,000. The Roma will constitute 10% of the Hungarian population by 2015 because the non-Roma population is declining. Some 80% of the Roma in Hungary are Romungro. These are Hungarian Gypsies living in Hungary for over 650 years. They have lived in Hungary longer than 80% of the non-Roma population which came largely from surrounding territories under a colonization incentive programme organized under Empress Maria Thereza. The Romungo are monolingual and speak Hungarian since the speaking of Romani was banned under Empress Maria Theresa. The Olah Roma, some of whom still speak the Romani language, only came to Hungary during the last century following their release from some 500 years of slavery in Romania and where they had maintained the Romani language. Contrary to statements made in many reports, all Hungarian Roma speak Hungarian and have no difficulty with the language. As a result of the Trianon Agreement which split Hungary up in 1920 a large number of Roma in Slovakia and Romania are Romungro and still speak Hungarian and many have learned Romani in their dealings with other Roma there. Some 25% of school age threshold children (entering school age) in Hungary are Roma but the majority are abused by state sponsored segregated educational denial. Source: SEEL-Systems Engineering Economics Lab European Committee on Romani Emacipation The Hungarian Academy of Sciences