Abstract

In the last 25 years, the population has had many challenges and difficulties in covering goods and services on the market, which has foreshadowed an expansion of vulnerability and poverty for many families in Romania. The analysis of different types of family structures, incomes and areas of residence has highlighted better years for certain types of incomes, but also less good years, as a result of: increased inflation; increased exchange rate, which further influenced the purchasing power of the Romanian leu on the market for purchasing goods and services; increased fuel prices or wage cuts. European statistics studying the phenomenon of poverty reported that higher values of the risk of falling into poverty were recorded in Bulgaria, Spain and Romania. The figures indicate that there are still significant challenges, which require additional actions to protect vulnerable children in these countries. On the other hand, the lowest values were observed in Slovenia, Cyprus and the Czech Republic, demonstrating notable progress in these Member States. Slovenia had the lowest percentage of children at risk of poverty and social exclusion of all EU countries included in the report. Among all member states, Romania achieved the most significant reduction in the risk of poverty and social exclusion at the national level, in 2024.

Keywords

poverty, social exclusion, families with children, pensioner families, minimum consumption, national strategy for social inclusion and poverty reduction for the period 2022-2027.