Study: Romanians are no longer sleeping at night due to financial problems

Romanians are increasingly feeling money worries. According to a study conducted in February, at the request of XTB Romania, by Reveal Marketing Research, almost 75% of respondents said that, in the last month, money worries affected their mental health and caused them anxiety.

At the same time, a large part of Romanians, 85%, stated that financial problems affected the quality of their sleep.

The increase in prices of essential goods is, by far, the main factor (36%) that generates financial stress, especially among respondents in the 55+ age group.

In second place are unplanned expenses (19%), such as repairs or medical emergencies. Unexpected payments affect women to a greater extent, but also young people aged 25–34 and people over 55.

In third place as a stress factor is job security (15%). This was mentioned especially by people aged 45–55. The burden of debt is also a source of stress for Romanians (15%), especially for those who are building a family, in the age group 35–44.

When asked “In the last 30 days, how often have financial worries affected your mental health?”, the results show that the impact is significant for a large part of the population. 75% of respondents said that money worries negatively affect their mental state.

The analysis by gender highlights differences: 48% of women say they are more affected, compared to 37% of men, while the rest of the respondents did not provide information regarding gender.

In the last month, 85% of Romanians have had difficulty falling asleep at least once due to money problems. And in this case, gender differences appear: 32% of women said that budget worries frequently affect their sleep quality, compared to 25% of men.

In terms of age, the impact is more pronounced among people aged 45 to 55 (32%), followed by the 25–34 age group (30%).

When asked “What is the area where you feel the most impact of financial stress?”, over a quarter (34%) of Romanians mentioned mood and motivation. Those over 56 are the most affected, with their share being the highest when analyzing respondents by age.

Other important effects are felt by people in terms of health (17%), as well as on sleep and energy levels (17%).

At the same time, 15% of respondents said that financial stress is affecting their family life, a phenomenon more common among people aged 25–34.

Professional performance, however, remains largely unaffected, with only a small proportion of respondents indicating an impact on work (5%).

The study shows that only 38% of Romanians who responded to the survey say they feel financially secure for the next 12 months.

The feeling of security decreases with age: from 51% among young people aged 18–24 to just 30% for those over 45. This feeling of financial stability reaches its lowest level in the 55+ age group (28%).

Regarding the gender analysis, the data shows that men are more likely to say that they feel financially confident for the next 12 months (44%), compared to women (30%).

The study was conducted in February 2026, on a sample of 1,006 respondents from Romania.