The density of the associational sphere is a characteristic of minority life that provides a useful assessment of the opportunities available to minority members for participating in social activities and networsk. A high associational density may facilitate civic engagement and increase social capital, encouraging political participation. Alternatively, low associational density may provide fewer opportunities for building social capital and decrease the likelihood of participation in the political system.
We define minority associational density as the ratio of minority organizations to the demographic size of the minority measured as a proportion of the number of organizations per 1,000 members of the minority community. This measure allows for comparisons across minority communities, even though they vary in size, historical legacy, and other characteristics.
Overall Associational Density
The table presents calculated scores for minority associational density.
| Minority group | Density of minority organizations | Number of minority organizations | Minority population |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hungarians in Romania | 7.66 | 9,477 | 1,237,746 |
| Hungarians in Slovakia | 8.49 | 3,582 | 422,065 |
| Poles in Lithuania | 1.92 | 306 | 159,263 |
| Russian speakers in Lithuania | 1.47 | 320 | 217,939 |
| Russian speakers in Estonia | 1.30 | 468 | 361,379 |
| Russian speakers in Latvia | 0.93 | 511 | 549,031 |