The biggest challenge for Romania and many other countries in Eastern Europe is the demographic problem, which is more important than the fact that Romania entered the EU and NATO. Demographics will have long term effects on consumption and economic development, said Mihai Barsan, vice president for marketing with brewer Ursus Breweries, reports local Mediafax.

He noted that 380,000 children were born in 1980, and they are now aged 34, 350,000 children were born in 1990 (aged 24 now), while those who have reached the age of 18 total 240,000.

“Now, as things look, most of the purchasing power over the next 20 years will rather come from those born in the 70s and 80s, while we have less and less young people and this will lead to big problems in the future,” said Barsan.

Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com