Unequal Progress: Roma Inclusion in 2025 SDG Reviews Remains Incomplete Across Europe

Authored by Magdalena Sarandeva (Bulgaria), GFoD Intern; and Simona Torotcoi (Romania), GFoD Regional Coordinator for Europe.

The principle of “Leaving No One Behind” is central to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Yet, for Europe's Roma communities—among the largest and most marginalized ethnic groups on the continent—this commitment is still far from being realized. The 2025 Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) submitted by four European countries—Czechia, Bulgaria, Germany, and Finland—reveal varying levels of Roma inclusion in reporting, with significant shortcomings in measurable progress, disaggregated data, and targeted implementation.

This review, authored by Magdalena Sarandeva (Bulgaria), an intern at the Global Forum of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (GFoD), and Simona Torotcoi (Romania), GFoD's Regional Coordinator for Europe, examines how Roma voices have been represented—or excluded—in the latest SDG reporting.

A Global Mandate, Local Gaps

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide an essential platform for advancing equality, eliminating structural discrimination, and promoting social inclusion. For Roma communities—who face intergenerational poverty, school segregation, and systemic exclusion—SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) is particularly significant.

The Global Forum of Communities Discriminated on Work and Descent (GFoD), through its engagement with the UN Major Groups and Other Stakeholders, has supported Roma civil society in submitting shadow reports, statements, and independent reviews. These efforts aim to amplify Roma perspectives in national SDG implementation and hold governments accountable to their commitments.

Germany: Absence of Recognition

Germany's 2025 VNR fails to explicitly reference the Roma and Sinti communities. Despite general affirmations of equality, inclusion, and social participation, the report omits targeted data, case studies, or policy discussions related to these national minorities. This erasure from SDG frameworks undermines both visibility and accountability, and signals a troubling neglect of Roma-specific issues within Germany's sustainable development planning.

Finland: Process Without Outcome

Finland's VNR contains around 20 mentions of Roma, suggesting at least a nominal effort at inclusion. However, the report focuses primarily on policy structures and institutional processes, rather than outcomes. There is a stark lack of disaggregated data on Roma access to education, healthcare, employment, and poverty reduction. For example, while Finland references its long-standing Roma policy framework and the Advisory Board for Roma Affairs under the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, it does not provide data-driven evaluations of the impact of these structures.

Moreover, despite Finland's emphasis on rights-based development, the report lacks a critical reflection on persistent disparities. A more SDG-aligned approach would involve regular data publication by SDG indicator, outcome-based assessment of Roma-targeted interventions, and identification of remaining challenges, especially where Roma communities still face disproportionate exclusion.

Bulgaria: Acknowledgement Without Integration

Bulgaria's second VNR shows a mixed picture. The report references “Roma” 23 times across 174 pages and acknowledges the vulnerabilities of the Roma population, especially in relation to poverty, discrimination, and access to basic services. However, this recognition often appears in general groupings with other vulnerable communities—such as the elderly or people with disabilities—thus diluting attention to the specific and systemic nature of Roma exclusion.

Key gaps include the absence of disaggregated national data on Roma education, socio-economic conditions, and health outcomes. This lack of visibility prevents targeted policy responses and undermines effective monitoring. The statistics that are available paint a stark picture: in 2023, the at-risk-of-poverty rate among Roma was 65.0%, with 77.0% of Roma children experiencing material deprivation. The Roma also had the lowest employment rate at 34.0%. These figures illustrate the urgent need for targeted interventions, especially in education, where school segregation and poor infrastructure persist.

Although Bulgaria has adopted a National Strategy for Equality, Inclusion, and Participation of Roma (2021–2030), its implementation remains weak. The report calls for the development of methodologies and national repositories to collect data on equity and access, particularly in education and healthcare. Deny Doborov of the World Roma Federation, in a civil society response, stressed the particular exclusion of Romani women from both Roma and gender equality policy spaces, which impairs progress on SDG 5.

Czechia: Structural Recognition, Limited Depth

Czechia's 2025 VNR acknowledges the Roma as a significant minority facing social exclusion and links their situation to key SDGs, including education, employment, and anti-discrimination. Unlike Germany, the Czech report explicitly references Roma-focused national strategies and outlines some policy frameworks. However, like Finland and Bulgaria, it largely falls short of providing updated, measurable indicators of progress or challenges.

For instance, the report cites that, in the 2023/2024 school year, there were 16 schools where over 90% of students were Roma, with many more schools showing similarly high levels of Roma segregation. Yet the broader discussion lacks reflection on trends, causes, or the effectiveness of interventions.
In terms of SDG 5, the Czech report refers to a compensation mechanism for Roma women subjected to involuntary sterilization. While the initiative is an important acknowledgment of past injustices, the VNR does not provide detail on implementation progress or accessibility—both vital for ensuring that the measure delivers meaningful justice.

The VNR demonstrates alignment with the EU Strategy for Roma Equality and Inclusion (2021–2030) and acknowledges the importance of disaggregated data. However, the inclusion of Roma issues remains concentrated in a few thematic areas, without mainstreaming across all SDGs such as housing, health, environmental sustainability, or access to justice.

Gabriela Hrabanova from ERGO Network, in her civil society statement, emphasized that Roma must not be “reduced to data points” but recognized as co-creators of national development, with genuine participation in SDG design and monitoring.

Conclusion: Commitments Without Accountability

Across all four countries, Roma are mentioned in VNRs, yet the quality of their inclusion remains limited and uneven. While national strategies and policy declarations exist, Roma inclusion is not fully integrated into the SDG framework in terms of implementation, monitoring, or participation. Disaggregated data remains sparse, and where policies exist, they often emphasize structure over outcome.

Most critically, structural antigypsyism and systemic exclusion continue to block meaningful Roma participation in public life and development processes. The 2025 VNRs offer a snapshot of intent, but fall short of fulfilling the SDG promise to truly “leave no one behind.”

As civil society actors continue to engage with the SDG process, the need for data-driven policy, transparent monitoring, and the centering of Roma voices becomes increasingly urgent. The SDGs offer not only a framework for measuring development, but also a political and moral imperative to uphold justice and inclusion for all.

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