The value of the minimum expenditure basket for a decent living in Romania for a family of two adults and two children has increased in 2024 by 4.7% as against 2023, from RON 9,978 a month to RON 10,450 a month, according to a report by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation Romania and Sydex Romania that takes September 2024 value of the minimum expenditure basket into account.
The value of the basket for a family of two adults and one child is RON 8,586 per month, for a family of two adults without children it is RON 6,435 per month, and for a single adult it is RON 3,972 per month.
The Friedrich Ebert Foundation and Sydex say that the update of the basket value was carried out based on the September 2024 price indices reported by the National Institute of Statistics (INS) as against September 2023.
The increase in the total value of the expenditure basket this year is generated by increasing costs in most chapters, except for housing expenses (utilities and maintenance expenses). The most significant increases, in excess of RON 100 a month, were recorded in food prices and the purchase of a home.
"The idea of a minimum expenditure basket for a decent living implies the composition of a set of regular expenses necessary to meet some basic needs for a family with a given structure. In addition to the needs immediately necessary for survival - shelter, food - the minimum basket for a decent living covers a comprehensive series of current needs such as clothing, personal hygiene, education, health care, transportation, communications, recreation, as well as any unforeseen expenses (family issues health problems, etc.)," according to the report.