Frozen pensions: retirees have lost 12,840 RON over two years

Data presented by Realitatea PLUS reveals a significant financial loss for Romanian pensioners, caused by a two-year pension freeze amid the economic crisis and widespread price increases.

How much pensioners have lost due to non-indexation

The reference point value has remained at 81 RON, a level set in 2024. Had the legal indexation been applied over these two years, the reference point value should have reached 107 RON.

• Average monthly loss due to non-indexation: 535 RON
• Average annual loss: 6,420 RON
• Total accumulated loss over the two-year freeze: 12,840 RON

Purchasing power in sharp decline

A pension of 3,000 RON, as it stood in 2021, now has a real purchasing power of just 2,340 RON. To restore the purchasing power of four years ago, the pension level would need to reach 5,000 RON, according to the cited data.

How other European countries have proceeded

Whilst Romania froze its pensions, other European countries continued with periodic indexation:

• Germany: indexation of 4.57% in July 2024 and 3.5% in July 2025
• France: indexation of 5.3% in January 2024 and 2.2% in January 2025

Data source: Realitatea PLUS.