Romania Retains the Highest Inflation Rate in the EU: 8.6%, Four Times Above the European Average

Romania remains at the top of the European Union's inflation league table — and not in a good way — with an annual rate of 8.6% that dramatically exceeds the European average. For the country's senior citizens, this means a continuous erosion of the purchasing power of pensions and fixed incomes.

Data published by Eurostat reveals a stark gap between Romania and the rest of Europe. While Romania records inflation of 8.6%, the countries with the lowest rates are Cyprus (0.1%), France (0.7%) and Italy (1.2%). Even the next countries in the ranking, Slovakia (4.1%) and Estonia (4%), have inflation rates half that of Romania.

For older Romanians, the situation is particularly difficult, given that pensions and social benefits are not adjusted at the same pace as rising prices. Services, which make the largest contribution to inflation (1.54 percentage points), include medical care, transport and other essential services for senior citizens.

Food, alcohol and tobacco contributed a further 0.49 percentage points to inflation, directly affecting the budgets of households on fixed incomes. Energy prices, on the other hand, fell by 0.18 percentage points, offering some modest relief in that sector.

Compared with November, Romania's inflation rate held steady — as it did in only two other EU countries. In 18 member states inflation fell, while in six countries it rose, placing Romania among those unable to bring rising prices under control.

For Romanian pensioners, the persistence of this high level of inflation means that the purchasing power of pensions continues to deteriorate. It is essential that the authorities adopt concrete measures to protect the incomes of senior citizens in the face of this sustained inflationary pressure.