About four in ten Romanians were exposed to the risk of poverty and social exclusion in 2014.

About 122 million people in the European Union were facing these risks last year, or 24.4% of the total population, according to EU’s statistical office Eurostat.

Romania has the highest percentage in the EU for the number of people facing poverty and social exclusion, namely 40.2%. Bulgaria comes right after Romania, with 40.1% of its total population at risk, followed by Greece with 36%.

The Czech Republic presents the lowest risk rate in the EU, with 14.8%, followed by Sweden with 16.9%, the Netherlands with 17.1%, Finland with 17.3%, and Denmark with 17.8%.

Nevertheless, Romania is among the EU member states that made the biggest progresses between 2008 and 2014 in reducing the poverty and social exclusion risk.

editor@romania-insider.com