Vaslui, Teleorman and Mehedinti – poorest counties. Without social aid, half the country would face poverty risk

European and national figures prove that, during the past years, no big steps to eradicate poverty have been made. The latest available figures are from 2017 and refer to 2016, proving that, without the state’s social aid, half of the population would be at risk of poverty, with several counties facing a critical situation.

The figures pointing to poverty are related to productivity. The GDP per capita is generally used as an indicator for the standard of living and a higher level means higher standard of living. It is also related to productivity, hotnews.ro informs.

The figures regarding the GDP per capita reveals that the lowest levels were, according to the National Prognosis Commission, in 2017, in Vaslui County (EUR 4,343), Botosani County (EUR 4,701), Teleorman County (EUR 5,402), Mehedinti County (EUR 5.402) and Olt County (EUR 5,615). For comparison, Bucharest had in 2017 a GDP per capita of EUR 25,400.

The unemployment rate was high in 2017 in some counties: Vaslui – 10.2%, Teleorman – 10%, Mehedinti – 9.4%, Dolj – 8.8% and Galati – 7.9%. At the opposite end, lowest unemployment rates were registered in Ilfov – 0.6%, Timis – 1%, Arad– 1.5% and Cluj – 2.1%.

According to the National Statistics Institute (INS) a quarter of the population was saved from poverty due to the social transfers. The pensions had as result that 20.1% of the population did not reach the poverty level.

During 2013-2016 the poverty rate, estimated as a ratio between the level and distribution of revenues, has grown from 23% to 25.3% in the last year considered.