Inflation of 9.5% in Romania Severely Impacts Pensioners' Purchasing Power

Romania continues to record the highest inflation rate in the European Union, with prices rising 9.5% in April — three times the EU average of 3.2%. This difficult economic situation is particularly hard on senior citizens and pensioners, who rely on fixed and limited incomes.

For Romania's elderly population, inflation means a constant erosion of purchasing power. Pensions, which rise far more slowly than prices, are becoming insufficient to cover basic needs. Medicines, food and medical services — all essential to older people's daily lives — are steadily growing more expensive, forcing many elderly citizens to make compromises when it comes to their own health and wellbeing.

The impact is felt acutely by seniors living in care homes or receiving home care services. The costs of these services are rising in line with inflation, while families' ability to support them financially is falling. Many private care homes are being forced to raise their fees, and care services are becoming increasingly difficult to access for pensioners on low incomes.

The situation is particularly severe for pensioners who depend entirely on their state pension, with no other source of income. They are watching their pension's purchasing power shrink month by month, finding themselves having to forgo medical treatments, cut back on the quality of their food, or postpone important medical appointments because of ever-rising costs.

Compared with the EU average of 3.2% — and the eurozone figure of 3% — Romania finds itself in an extremely vulnerable position. This stark difference places additional pressure on the social protection system and on services aimed at older people, which must meet growing demand with limited resources.