A decline in living standards and poverty are among Romanians’ main economic concerns

62 per cent of Romanians say they are concerned about the decline in living standards, compared with 40 per cent across the EU, whilst 48 per cent are concerned about poverty, compared with the European average of 32 per cent. These two issues reflect the continuing precarious situation in Romania, as well as in other countries in Southern and Eastern Europe, with the exception of Poland, where 21 per cent of respondents say they are concerned about poverty and 36 per cent about a decline in living standards.

Travel, utilities and healthcare – the three types of expenditure that most people fear they cannot afford

These concerns are also reflected in the goods and services that Romanian citizens fear they will not be able to afford over the next 12 months. Most say they fear they will not be able to afford:

• travel – 45 per cent of respondents;
• utilities (energy and water bills, etc.) – 44 per cent;
• healthcare – 44 per cent.

When it comes to utilities, Romania is above the European average, surpassed only by Ireland (47 per cent) and Greece (58 per cent). Concerns also extend to food: 40 per cent of Romanians fear they will not be able to afford it in the coming year. Similar percentages are found in Ireland (41 per cent), Greece (42 per cent) and Portugal (46 per cent).

By comparison, basic necessities such as food, housing and utilities are not among the major concerns in Germany, France or Italy, where access to less essential services, such as travel, entertainment or eating out, are the main causes for concern.

Half of Romanians believe that the current state of the country’s economy is poor

Furthermore, 50 per cent of Romanians believe that the current state of the country’s economy is poor, a quarter believe it is neither good nor poor, and just over a fifth believe it is in a good state. These views are in line with the average perception of EU citizens regarding their own countries (49 per cent, 25 per cent and 24 per cent respectively across the three categories). In response to the same question, the results for Bulgaria are more pessimistic (55 per cent believe the country’s economy is in a bad state). The same percentage is recorded in Germany, whilst in France no fewer than 62 per cent of citizens consider the state of the economy to be poor. Only Poland presents a slightly more optimistic picture: 41 per cent of respondents consider Poland’s economic situation to be good, 24 per cent neither good nor bad, and 33 per cent consider it to be poor.

Perceptions of personal economic circumstances

When asked how they rate their personal economic circumstances, 34 per cent of Romanians consider them to be good (EU average: 36 per cent), 38 per cent neither good nor bad (EU average: 35 per cent) and 27 per cent consider their personal economic circumstances to be bad (EU average: 27 per cent). By comparison, the results from Poland show greater optimism: 46 per cent of respondents consider their personal financial situation to be good, compared with 20 per cent who consider it to be bad. In Bulgaria, 28 per cent of respondents consider their financial situation to be good, whilst 31 per cent consider it to be bad.

Opinions are also divided regarding the standard of living of the next generation

Furthermore, the pessimism felt by a significant proportion of Romanians is also reflected in their outlook for the future: 42 per cent believe that the standard of living of today’s children, when they grow up, will be lower than that of their parents, with the EU average being similar (45 per cent). In general, pessimism about the future is more pronounced in Western European countries such as Germany (46 per cent), France (56 per cent) and Italy (52 per cent). By comparison, Eastern European countries such as Bulgaria, Hungary and Poland tend to be more optimistic (around 26–27 per cent). Romanians are, therefore, an exception among Eastern European countries, with opinions divided: 35 per cent of Romanians are confident that today’s children will enjoy a higher standard of living than their parents’ when they reach adulthood, compared with 40 per cent in Bulgaria, 36 per cent in Hungary and 38 per cent in Poland. The proportion of people who are optimistic about their children’s future stands at just 24 per cent in Germany, 18 per cent in France and 21 per cent in Italy.

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Data source: Flash Eurobarometer ‘Europeans’ perceptions of the economy’ https://data.europa.eu/data/datasets/s3732_fl015ep_eng?locale=en

Data processing and text drafting: Maria-Luiza Apostolescu

Infographic: Pascalone Media SRL

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