Average monthly income per household up 15.3% in 2024

In 2024, the average total monthly income per household in Romania reached 8,270 lei (nominal value), up 15.3% compared to the previous year, with 84.8% of that amount allocated to expenditures, according to data the National Institute of Statistics (INS) released on Tuesday.According to official statistics, last year the average monthly cash income was 7,698 lei per household (3,074 lei per person), a 15.9% increase year-over-year. In-kind income amounted to 572 lei per household per month (228 lei per person), a 7.6% increase.Gross salaries and other wage-related rights totaled 5,557 lei per household per month, representing the most significant source of total income (67.2% of household income, up 0.4 percentage points from 2023). Social benefits contributed significantly as well, averaging 1,668 lei per household per month (20.2% in 2024, versus 20.4% in 2023). In-kind income accounted for 6.9% in 2024 (down from 7.4% in 2023), consisting of benefits in kind received by employees and social benefit recipients (1.5% in 2024 vs. 1.6% in 2023), and the value of agri-food and non-food products consumed from own resources (5.4% in 2024 vs. 5.8% in 2023).Regarding residence, in 2024, the average total monthly income per household in urban areas was 9,207 lei - 1.3 times higher than in rural areas. On a per-person basis, it was 3,924 lei - 1.5 times higher than in rural areas.In terms of income structure, in urban areas, gross salaries and other wage-related rights accounted for 73.3% of total household income - 16.3 percentage points more than in rural areas. In rural areas, social benefits had a larger share (21.4%, up by 2 percentage points), and in-kind income was significantly higher (11.7%), 2.9 times that in urban areas.Overall, in 2024, the average total monthly income stood at 8,270 lei per household (3,302 lei per person), marking a 15.3% and 15% increase, respectively, compared to 2023.Average monthly cash expenditures were 6,567 lei per household (2,622 lei per person), increasing by 13.1% year-over-year (12.8% per person).The value of self-consumed agri-food and non-food products averaged 446 lei/month/household (178 lei/person), up 7.6% compared to 2023.In 2024, the main uses of household expenditures were: Consumption (cash consumption and self-consumed goods): 4,248 lei/month/household (60.6%); Transfers to public/private administration and social insurance budgets (taxes, contributions, dues): 2,308 lei/household (32.9%); Expenditures related to household production (cash and fodder consumption from own resources) totaled 145 lei/household (2.1%).In total, average monthly household expenses in 2024 were 7,013 lei (2,800 lei per person), representing 84.8% of total income, up by 790 lei compared to 2023.In urban areas, average monthly household spending was 7,740 lei - 1.3 times more than in rural areas. On a per-person basis, it was 3,299 lei - 1.5 times higher than in rural areas.In cities, the highest share of spending was on taxes, contributions, and dues (36.4% of total expenditures, 9.2 percentage points more than in rural areas). In rural areas, the value of self-consumed goods accounted for 11.6% of total spending - 3.7 times more than in urban areas.According to the COICOP (Classification of Individual Consumption by Purpose), food and non-alcoholic beverages had the largest share of monthly consumption expenses - 1,433 lei/household (33.7%). Other major categories included: Housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels: 629 lei (14.8%); Clothing and footwear: 335 lei (7.9%); Alcoholic beverages and tobacco: 311 lei (7.3%).The lowest average monthly expenditure was on education, at only 24 lei/household (0.6% of total consumption expenditures).