In an average Romanian household, total monthly revenues were EUR 569 per household and EUR 198 per person in the first quarter of this year. Meanwhile, average monthly spending amounted to some EUR 515  per household and EUR 179 per person, representing 90.5 percent of the total income, according to the latest figures from Romania's statistics institute (INS).

The cash income was on average EUR 454 per month for households and EUR 157 per person, while the non-monetary, in kind income valued EUR 114 per month for households and EUR 40 per person.

Salaries and other related incomes were the most important source of income - 48.9 percent of total household income. Other important contributions to total income come from social benefits - 23.4 percent, income from agriculture - 2.0 percent, from independent agricultural activities - 2.1 percent and property and sales of household assets - 1.8 percent. An important part is held by in-kind incomes - 20.3 percent, mainly in the form of agriculture products from own resources - 18.1 percent.

Level differences, especially, of structure between household incomes were registered according to the area of residence. In the first quarter of 2012, the total average incomes per household in urban areas were 24.2 percent higher than the rural households and 9.3 percent higher than the average for all households. Urban household incomes were divided into 62.6 percent from salaries, 23 percent from social benefits and in-kind income representing 9.1 percent of total.

In rural areas, the main source of household incomes was agricultural production, which provided 41.7 percent of total revenues. Most (36.8 percent of total revenues) was represented by the use agricultural products from own resources, money income from agriculture providing 4.9 percent of total incomes of rural households.

Households are spending on food supply, nonfood consumable, paying for services and tax and private and social insurance. Rural areas also spend on agriculture associated goods and services.

There are differences in spending patterns between rural and urban areas. In a urban areas a greater proportion of monetary income is spent on food, while in rural areas more food comes from own resources.

A good deal of spending is on the home itself - water, electricity, gas, fuel, furniture, household equipment and maintenance. In the first three months of 2012, it represented 23.3 percent of total consumption expenditure.

Ioana Toader, ioana.toader@romania-insider.com