Survey published as part of National Gypsy Day today
More than half of Roma people say they have suffered discrimination in Portugal, according to results of the Survey on Living Conditions, Origins and Trajectories of the Resident Population in Portugal (ICOT), released today.
Carried out between January and August 2023, the survey published by the National Statistics Institute INE, as part of National Gypsy Day, today indicates that 51.3% of people who identify themselves as gypsies have already suffered discrimination – a much higher figure than the 16.1% recorded in the total population.
Among reasons behind this discrimination, a set of factors that brings together skin colour, territory of origin and ethnic group stands out, identified by 95% of Roma who have been discriminated against – again, a proportion that is much higher/ more than double that observed in the total population that has been discriminated (which is 40.1%),” says INE’s report on the survey.
According to ICOT, around 47,500 people aged between 18 and 74 and living in Portugal for at least a year, “self-identified with the Roma ethnic group.
“More than four fifths (82.8%) said there was discrimination in Portugal, and around three quarters (74.3%) considered that discrimination based on ethnic origin is frequent or very frequent (48.8% in the total population).
More than half of the population from this ethnic group (52.7%) had already witnessed discrimination (versus 35.9% in the total population),” the document states.
“It can be seen that 88.1% of the people who identified themselves as Roma have no immigration background, i.e. they are people born in Portugal and whose parents and grandparents were also born in Portugal – a higher proportion than that observed in the total population (81.5%),” the report continues.
The survey shows that almost all the Roma population (95.3%) were born in Portugal – compared to 87.5% of all residents; 96.7% have Portuguese nationality (compared to 95.2% for the total population).
In the labour market, the Roma population had a lower proportion of working people (61.3%, compared to 70.8% in the total population), and were mostly positioned in the first quintile of income distribution, i.e. in the 20% of the population with the lowest incomes (72.6%).
Roma people generally rated their health as very good or good (62.0%), although they reported a higher proportion of chronic illnesses.
This population group also scored well below the national average in terms of property ownership (30.6% compared to 70.8% in the total population) and thermal comfort of housing (46.8% compared to 72.3%), as well as access to the internet (74.2% compared to 91.8%) and a car (55.1% compared to 75.6% of the total population).
President Marcelo has marked this day “recalling the contribution (of Roma people) in the construction of Portugal and appealing for the urgent combat of situations of discrimination, lack of representation and difficulties in integration” which, he recognises, continue.
He added that he will be taking part in commemorating the 5th centenary of the persecution of Portuguese gypsies – an initiative that will take place in 2025-2026, and which has his ‘High Patronage’.
Source material: LUSA
