About half of young people between the ages of 16 and 34 have already made plans to leave Romania. Most of them are attracted by the higher wages offered by companies abroad. About 3.4 million Romanians have left the country in the ten years since its entry into the EU in 2007, a huge proportion of a population that now numbers about 19.5 million. According to the Population Reference Bureau, the country’s population is expected to sink by over a fifth in the next 30 years. This Would be the steepest population drop in the world. A brain drain that is highly problematic for the development of Romania and leaves the youth with a unsecure future for themselves. CAPTION: Nistor Maria (16) and (to the right) and her high school friend in front of their local school in Moldovita. When they graduate from highschool they both want to go abroad or study at a bigger city in Romania.