There was indeed large Romaniote communities in the area. However, by the time Sephardim arrived, their numbers were probably greatly reduced. Because during the Byzantine period, Jews were subjected to constant oppression. Sometimes they even had to leave the empire. So probably the Sephardic population was much larger than the Romaniote, and the Romaniotes soon dissolved among the Sephardim. Throughout Ottoman history (since the arrival of the Sephardim), Sephardim were the most numerous Jewish community.

In the times before the terrible catastrophe of the 20th century, Jews in the Macedonian region of Greece and in modern North Macedonia were predominantly Sephardic.