The total number of people affected by severe material deprivation in 2020 was 2.95 million people, of whom 47.4% men and 52.6% women, shares close to the previous year, according to data centralized by the National Institute of Statistics (INS).Compared to 2017, the severe material deprivation rate decreased by 4.5 percentage points, reaching 15.2% of the population in 2020.Last year, the incidence of severe material deprivation was higher mainly among children up to 18 years of age (21.4%) and young people aged 18-24 (17.7%). Compared to 2017, in 2020 there were significant decreases, by 6.8 and 6.4 percentage points, respectively, in the shares of people severely constrained by a lack of financial resources in the 50-64 years age range and in those aged 65 and over.Severe material deprivation was less common among people living in households without dependent children (12.9%) than among those living in households with dependent children (17.1%). Compared to 2017, there was a decrease in severe material deprivation by 7.4 percentage points among households without dependent children and by 2.1 percentage points among households with dependent children.In households with dependent children, the most difficult situation was in the case of people from large households (consisting of 2 adults with 3 or more dependent children), of whom 43.9% are severely constrained by a lack of financial resources. Also, 25.5% of people in our country living in single-parent households with dependent children are severely constrained by a lack of financial resources, while only 7.7% of people in households consisting of two adults with one child experience severe deprivation.Severe material deprivation is unevenly distributed in terms of regional profile. In 2020, the highest incidence of severe material deprivation was recorded in the regions of South-East (22.7%) and South-Muntenia (20.6%), with 14.1 and 12 percentage points respectively compared to the West region. Compared to 2019, increases in severe material deprivation were felt in most regions, the highest being recorded in the Center region (3.4 percentage points), followed by the South-East regions by 2 percentage points and the North-East by 1.5 percentage points.In the European Union, severe material deprivation characterizes the lives of 5.5% of the total number of people, but the differences between Member States are considerably wide.According to INS, severe material deprivation refers to people who, due to lack of financial resources, cannot afford at least four of the nine components considered essential for a decent living, such as: payment of rent, mortgage or utility bills o time; ensuring adequate heating of the home; the possibility to face unforeseen expenses; payment of one week vacation annually; eating meat or fish at least once every 2 days; owning a color TV; owning a washing machine; owning a telephone (landline or mobile); owning a personal car.
Romania’s annual inflation rate stood at roughly 9.8% in November 2025, similar to October, according to data published by the National Institute of Statistics (INS). Food prices increased by 7.6% last month, while services rose roughly 11% and non-food goods climbed 10.7%. The consumer price index rose by 0.42% in November compared with October, while […]
Three French soldiers deployed in Romania as part of NATO’s Multinational Battle Group at Cincu intervened to save a truck driver following a serious traffic accident on the A3 Bucharest–Ploiești motorway, the Romanian Ministry of Defense said. The incident occurred earlier this week as the soldiers were traveling toward Ploiești and witnessed the truck crash...
Eight contemporary art galleries will present the works of the artists they represent at the third edition of the Smallest Art Fair in Town, an event dedicated to works on paper. This edition showcases works “investigating the state of wandering, disorientation, and rediscovery in the face of uncertainty.” Under the title In Dark Woods, A […]
Parents everywhere are asking an important question: What skills will truly prepare a child for a world defined by rapid change, global uncertainty, and the rise of artificial intelligence? For decades, schools focused entirely on academics. Today, research from neuroscience, performance psychology, and leading universities shows a different reality: The students who thrive long-term are […]
Romania’s Social Democratic Party (PSD) has de facto frozen all major government reforms until it completes internal consultations on whether to remain in the ruling coalition, with a final decision expected at the end of January 2026. The party’s move is seen as an attempt to strengthen its negotiating position within the ruling coalition (for […]
Romanian president Nicușor Dan has invited prosecutors and judges to a meeting on December 22 to discuss concerns over the functioning of the judiciary, after almost 200 magistrates publicly alleged integrity problems within the system. In a message published on Facebook on December 11, Dan said the situation required urgent attention. “When...
