In 2020, household consumption expenditure in the EU decreased by an unprecedented 8% compared with 2019, the largest annual reduction recorded since the time series started and it is due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the European Commission Statistics Office (Eurostat) reported on Monday.Social distancing measures, government restrictions imposed on the movement of people and non-essential economic activities severely affected household consumption expenditure.All the EU Member States recorded a decrease in household consumption expenditure. Data for Romania, Greece, Germany, Belgium, France, Croatia, Cyprus, Hungary, the Netherlands and Portugal are provisional, Eurostat said.When comparing 2019 with 2020, the largest decrease was recorded in Malta (around -22%), followed by Croatia, Spain and Greece (all around -16%). On the other hand, the smallest decreases were recorded in Slovakia and Denmark (both around -2%), followed by Lithuania and Poland (both around -3%), Sweden (minus 3.8%), and Romania (minus 4.3%).According to Eurostat, the largest decreases in household consumption expenditure were observed for 'Restaurants and hotels' (-38% compared with 2019), 'Clothing and footwear,' 'Transport' and 'Recreation and culture' (all -17%). On the other hand, the largest increases were recorded for 'Food and non-alcoholic beverages' (+3%) and 'Communications' (+2%).In 2020, over a quarter (26%) of household consumption expenditure was devoted to 'Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels,' making it the EU's largest household expenditure item, ahead of 'Food and non-alcoholic beverages' (15%) and 'Transport' (12%).
Romania has dropped ten positions in the 2025 ranking conducted by the defense-focused publication Global Firepower, which compiles a list of the world's most powerful armies based on various indicators every year. In 2024, Romania was ranked 41st in the list of 145 countries, while now it is ranked 51st, with a power ranking of […]
The 19th Gopo Awards Gala, celebrating the achievements of Romanian cinema, will take place on April 29 in Bucharest, according to an announcement by the Romanian Film Promotion Association. A total of 38 feature films, including fiction and documentaries released in 2024, have met the eligibility criteria and are now in the running for nominations. […]
NXP Semiconductors N.V. secured a EUR 1 billion loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) for the company’s research, development, and innovation (RDI) projects in Austria, France, Germany, The Netherlands, and Romania. The financing will support NXP’s RDI projects aimed at various end markets including automotive, Industrial, and Internet of Things (IoT) for the period […]
Bucharest's two main airports, namely the Henri Coandă International Airport and Aurel Vlaicu Bucharest-Băneasa International Airport, recorded air traffic of over 16 million passengers in 2024, an increase of 9.22% compared to 2023. Additionally, there were 134,700 aircraft movements (landings and takeoffs), up 4.75% from 2023, according to data from the Bucharest National Airports Company […]
Romanian tennis player Jaqueline Cristian, ranked 82nd in the world, advanced to the third round of the Australian Open on Thursday, January 16, after defeating Italy's Lucia Bronzetti in two sets 7-5, 7-5. The match lasted two hours and four minutes, according to News.ro. This marks the...
The corporate branch in Romania of PKO Bank Polski, the leader of the Polish banking system, will begin its operational activity on the local market in 2025, according to Ziarul Financiar. The Romanian daily announced in October 2023 that PKO Bank, the largest bank in Poland, with assets equivalent to 70%...
