title: Lower Danube metropolitan area
text: # Lower Danube metropolitan area
  
  The Danube metropolitan area or Galați–Brăila metropolitan area is a proposed metropolitan area project in Romania. It would be formed from the cities of Galați and Brăila, and 15 nearby communes from Galați, Brăila and Tulcea counties. Together they have a population of 441,801 people, of whom 372,537 live in the cities of Galați and Brăila (as of 2021).
  
  As defined by Eurostat, as of 2015 the Galați functional urban area has a population of 322,501 residents, whilst the Brăila functional urban area has a population of 217,645 residents.
  
  ## Overview
  
  If completed, it would represent one of the largest metropolitan areas in Romania. Several major infrastructure projects have been proposed, or are being actively built: the Brăila–Galați Expressway, a bridge (the Brăila Bridge) across the Danube connecting Brăila and Galați counties to Tulcea County, and a new airport in Braniștea-Schela area.
  
  The metropolitan area has a border checkpoint to Moldova and Ukraine. Galați is located 10 km (6.2 mi) from Giurgiulești and 20 km (12 mi) from Reni.
  
  ## Demographics
  
  Population census :
  
  | Year | 2011 | 2021 |
  | - | - | - |
  | Pop. | 496,844 | 441,801 |
  | ±% | — | −11.1% |
  | Source: |||
  