The lowest level of prices for consumer goods and services from final household consumption in the Member States was recorded in 2021 in Romania, which was 45% below the EU average, followed by Bulgaria (44% below the EU average) and Poland (40% below the EU average).

Price level indices express how many units of the same currency are needed to buy the same amount of goods and services in different countries for each group of goods and services. According to an analysis sent on Friday by the National Institute of Statistics, in 2021 consumer goods and services as part of final consumption will cost €100 in the European Union, €144 in Ireland and €55 in Romania.

Prices for food and soft drinks

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In 2021, among the member states of the European Union, the highest level of household final consumption prices was recorded in Ireland (44% above the EU average), followed by Denmark (43% above the EU average), Luxembourg (36% above the average in the EU) and Sweden (30% above the EU average).

Romania is the cheapest participating country for the group “Food and non-alcoholic beverages” (70%), while at the opposite pole is Luxembourg with the highest price level for this product group (125%).

Housekeeping prices

• Denmark has the highest level of prices for goods of the group “Clothing and footwear” (133%), and Ireland is the most expensive EU country for goods of the groups “Alcoholic drinks and tobacco” (208%) and respectively. “Maintenance of the house, water, electricity, gas and other types of fuel” (194%).

• Bulgaria records the lowest level of prices in the groups “Alcoholic beverages and tobacco” (65%), “Clothing and shoes” (77%) and “Home maintenance, water, electricity, gas and other fuels” (36%). Poland by the groups “Alcoholic beverages and tobacco” (72%) and “Home maintenance, water, electricity, gas and other types of fuel” (38%).

• Romania has the lowest price level in the group “Recreation and culture” (63%) among EU countries, as well as in the group “Transport” (69%) together with Bulgaria.

• Bulgaria remains the cheapest member country for furniture and household appliances (68%), as well as accommodation and restaurant services (46%).

Prices for clothes and shoes

• Luxembourg has the highest price level for “Items of furniture, household appliances and household maintenance” (126%) among the member states. As for the “Transport” group, Denmark and Sweden are the most expensive EU countries (128%). Denmark stands out from the rest of the member countries as the most expensive country in the Leisure and Culture group (141%), as well as in accommodation and restaurants (154%).

Prices of drinks and cigarettes

Romania, together with five other Member States (Poland, Portugal, Hungary, Latvia and Croatia) register GDP per capita index values ​​calculated on the basis of PPC, which are in the range of 70% – 80% compared to the European average.

The lowest value of gross domestic product per inhabitant in 2021 was recorded by Bulgaria, 43% below the EU average.

The highest level of GDP per capita in the European Union was recorded by Luxembourg, which exceeded the EU average by 168%. This is partly due to the fact that large numbers of foreign nationals make up a significant proportion of the country’s total labor force and contribute to GDP, but are not part of the permanent population.