Pension recalculation delayed by 1.5 years and falling average wage: what the data shows

Thousands of pensioners who submitted documents for the minor recalculation have been waiting a year and a half for the amounts owed to reach them, according to Realitatea PLUS. Specialists cited by the source warn that the losses can be significant: for the global agreement, for example, the difference can reach up to 18%.

In addition to the delays in recalculations, the lack of pension indexation continues to reduce the purchasing power of senior citizens, in a context where Romania records the highest inflation in the European Union. Rising prices are affecting all income categories, however, not just pensions – including the average wage, which has fallen.

The average wage, down by 160 RON

The average net wage has reached just over 5,600 RON, a decrease of 2.7%. In practice, employees are losing on average approximately 160 RON per month, whilst prices for food, utility bills, and services continue to rise.

The increase in the minimum wage has not compensated for the loss of purchasing power either. For the approximately 1.8 million Romanians earning the minimum wage, the net increase was just 125 RON, given that the value of the minimum consumption basket exceeds 5,000 RON per month.