According to the National Institute of Statistics (INS), in 2022, Romania had the cheapest food products in the EU. We also had the cheapest furniture.

The lowest level of prices for consumer goods and services for final consumption by households in the Member States was recorded in 2022 in Romania, 42% below the EU average, followed by Bulgaria (41% below the EU average) and Poland (38 % below the EU average).

The highest rate was recorded in Ireland (46% above the EU average), followed by Denmark (45% above the EU average), Luxembourg (37% above the EU average) and Finland (27% above 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.

In 2022, 100 euros will be paid for consumer goods and services as part of final consumption at the level of the European Union, 146 euros in Ireland, and 58 euros in Romania.

Citing Eurostat data, the INS reports that Romania is the cheapest member country for the Food and Non-Alcoholic Drinks group (72%), followed by Poland (73%), and at the opposite pole Denmark and Luxembourg with the highest price level for this product group (121%).

Bulgaria records the lowest price level in the groups “Alcoholic beverages and tobacco” (66%), “Clothing and footwear” (80%) and “House maintenance, water, electricity, gas and other fuels” (37%), followed by Poland by the groups “Alcoholic beverages and tobacco” (73%) and “Home maintenance, water, electricity, gas and other types of fuel” (40%).

Denmark has the highest price level for clothing and footwear (133%), while Ireland is the most expensive country in the EU for alcohol and tobacco (216%) and maintenance. housing, water, electricity, gas and other types of fuel” (212%).

Furniture is cheaper in Romania

Romania has the lowest price level for the group “Items of furniture, household equipment and current home maintenance” (70%) among EU countries, together with Bulgaria (71%).

Hungary remains the cheapest member state for the Transport (72%) and Leisure and Culture (64%) groups, while Bulgaria records the lowest prices for the accommodation and restaurant services group (51%).

Luxembourg has the highest price level for “Items of furniture, household appliances and household maintenance” (126%) among the member countries.

As for the “Transport” group, Denmark (127%) and Sweden (126%) are the most expensive EU countries. Denmark stands out from the rest of the member countries as the most expensive country in the Leisure and Culture group (141%) and in Accommodation and Restaurants (156%).

At the same level as Portugal and Hungary in terms of GDP volume index per capita according to the PCS

Romania, together with Portugal and Hungary, registers the same value of the GDP volume index per inhabitant, calculated on the basis of PPC and is at the level of 77% compared to the average of the European Union.

The lowest value of gross domestic product per inhabitant in 2022 was recorded by Bulgaria, 41% 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 161%. 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.