Almost two-thirds (60%) of Romanians declare themselves satisfied and very satisfied with the way they live, while only 5% say they have everything they need, while 6% say they suffered from hunger, according to a survey carried out by Romanian Institute for Evaluation and Strategy – IRES.

The sociological research, published on Thursday, highlights that compared to the study carried out in 2022, the degree of self-perceived satisfaction with daily life has improved, so that, if in December last year, 41% of Romanians said that they were satisfied and very satisfied with the way they live, currently 60% of the survey participants support this.

Young people and respondents who live in cities are more satisfied than the average, while people with low education and those who live in Moldavia (eastern province of Romania) are more dissatisfied with their current standard of living, but only 5% of the survey participants say that they have everything they need and they can afford to buy everything they want. One out of 10 Romanians says that it is very difficult to manage, and over a quarter of those surveyed admit that they only have the bare necessities.

65% of the participants in the study say that they have reduced spending on household necessities, other than food, 63% that they have given up buying certain brands of food products that they used to use because they have become more expensive, and 56% that they gave up buying different food products due to the lack of money. More than a quarter of the respondents say that they had to postpone the payment of a utility bill (water, gas, electricity, etc.).

A little over a third of the survey participants (37%) said that they managed to save money in 2023 (compared to 46% in 2022), three out of 10 Romanians borrowed money from other family members, one out of five borrowed money from friends or acquaintances, and 16% borrowed money from the bank. Moreover, more than a quarter of those surveyed say that they currently have an unpaid debt (including loans), and 19% claim that there are various people who owe them money.

More than 40% of Romanians went on vacation, a third went abroad, one in five Romanians traveled by plane in 2023.

The study highlights that, in terms of health, seven out of 10 Romanians say that they have been to a medical consultation, and 22% that they have been hospitalized.

At the same time, 34% felt alone, 28% felt they needed help and did not receive it, 28% felt the need to talk to someone close and had no one to do so, and a quarter of the participants in the study needed help, but had no one to turn to.

One out of ten Romanians has been to a psychologist, in the context in which 68% say that they have experienced stress during this year.

The IRES research also shows that 16% of the interviewees claim that they were, in 2023, the victim of verbal violence on the street.

The survey was conducted between December 12 and 19, using the CATI method, on a volume of 1,075 individuals aged 18 and over. The survey has a maximum tolerated error of plus/minus 3%, being representative for the adult, non-institutionalized population in Romania. The study is part of the social responsibility programme of IRES and is self-financed.