EU Study Finds 76% Of Romanians Could Not Afford Holiday Away From Home In 2008

The study published Monday follows two indicators: risk of poverty and rate of material deprivation.

"The at-risk-of-poverty rate, which is a relative measure, can be complemented by the material deprivation rate, which describes social exclusion in more absolute terms. The material deprivation rate is defined as the enforced lack of at least three of nine items," the report says.

"In 2008, 17% of the EU27 population was materially deprived. The highest levels were registered in Bulgaria (51%), Romania (50%), Hungary (37%) and Latvia (35%), and the lowest in Luxembourg (4%), the Netherlands and Sweden (both 5%)," the study says.

"In 2008, 37% of the EU27 population could not afford a one week annual holiday away from home," the report goes on to say. In Romania, 76% could not afford such a vacation in 2008, whereas in Denmark only 10% were unable to afford it.

According to the report, "10% could not afford to keep their home adequately warm." In Romania, a quarter of the population faced this problem, a small percentage compared to Portugal (35%), Bulgaria (34%) and Cyprus (29%). At the other end, in Sweden, Estonia and Luxembourg only 1% of the people did not afford to keep their home sufficiently warm in 2008.

The study shows that 9% of the EU's population could not afford a meal with meat, chicken or fish every other day in 2008 - 19% of Romanians faced this problem, with the situation bleaker in Bulgaria (30%), Latvia (23%), Hungary (26%), 21% in Poland and 29% in Slovakia.

Romanians are the least likely EU members to be able to afford a personal car. While in the EU, 9% of the population could not afford one in 2008, in Romania this figure was 49%.

According to the study, in 2008, 17% of the population of EU 27 was at risk of poverty, meaning income after social transfers was below the poverty threshold. "Since 2005, the at-risk-of-poverty rate in the EU27 has been nearly stable, varying between 16% and 17%. The highest at-risk-of-poverty rates in 2008 were found in Latvia (26%), Romania (23%), Bulgaria (21%), Greece, Spain and Lithuania (all 20%), and the lowest in the Czech Republic (9%), the Netherlands and Slovakia (both 11%), Denmark, Hungary, Austria, Slovenia and Sweden (all 12%)."

The EU study shows that one in five children is at risk of poverty in the Union.

"In 20 of the 27 Member States, child at-risk-of-poverty rates were higher than for the total population. In 2008, the at-risk-of-poverty rate for those aged up to 17 years was 20% in the EU27. The highest rates were recorded in Romania (33%), Bulgaria (26%), Italy and Latvia (both 25%), and the lowest in Denmark (9%), Slovenia and Finland (both 12%).

Elderly people also face a higher risk of poverty than the total population. In 2008, the at-risk-of-poverty rate for those aged 65 years and over was 19% in the EU27. The highest rates were observed in Latvia (51%), Cyprus (49%), Estonia (39%) and Bulgaria (34%), and the lowest in Hungary (4%), Luxembourg (5%) and the Czech Republic (7%).

Being employed significantly reduces the risk of poverty. In 2008, the at-risk-of-poverty rate for those in employment was 8% on average in the EU27, ranging from 4% in the Czech Republic to 17% in Romania."

The study notes that, starting with the year 2005, the at-risk-of-poverty rate in the EU has been stable, between 16 and 17%.

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