Romania has the highest rate of the population at risk of poverty or social exclusion, 35.8% - three times larger than the EU champion - Czech Republic - and over 50% larger than the EU average, according to Eurostat data. Over one in three Romanians are thus at risk of poverty.

Persons are considered to be at risk of poverty after social transfers if they have an equivalised disposable income below the risk-of-poverty threshold, set at 60% of the national median equivalised disposable income. In other words, the share of the population at risk of poverty is a measure of income disparity - rather than an absolute measure of poverty comparable across countries.

An interesting detail is that the share of the population at risk of poverty or social exclusion is 11.8% on average for employees in the EU - which is roughly half the average 21.9% for the entire EU population. A job thus halves the risk of poverty in the EU.

In Romania, a job diminishes much less the risk of poverty: only by one third to 23.9%. 

iulian@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Stanislau V/Dreamstime.com)