Main concerns of Romanians
Half of Romania's population is most afraid of inflation and a much smaller percentage is afraid of the energy and food crisis and of the increase in loan interest rates.
Daniela Budu, 31.08.2022, 14:00
Two thirds of Romanians believe that a large-scale economic crisis will occur in the next period, and this is the main reason for their concern in this period, according to the results of a survey conducted by the sociological research company Avangarde in the last days of this month. Only 3% of Romanians believe that the Romania will not face an economic crisis. According to the survey, the main causes of concern for Romanians are the inflation, the energy crisis caused by Russia, the food crisis and, to a lesser extent, the increase in loan interest rates. As for inflation, half of those surveyed said they were concerned about its increase.
The survey shows that two thirds of Romanians have decided to give up several things to cope with the wave of price hikes. Almost one Romanian out of two says that he or she bought less food and 14% of those interviewed say that they have given up buying clothes. However, there is also an important percentage of respondents who say that they have not reduced consumption (about 20%) and 10% could not answer. After inflation, Romanians are worried about the energy crisis and the food crisis.
Many people with natural gas heating systems say they are considering investing in alternative sources, as they fear higher bills. In the case of energy, most Romanians have already invested or will invest in equipment to help them reduce consumption. In general, as regards the energy crisis, almost 4 out of 10 Romanians believe that Russia will put Europe in difficulty this winter and will completely stop supplying gas to Europe.
Many Romanians are optimistic, though, and believe that the EU leaders will find solutions to overcome the energy crisis caused by a possible complete stop on gas deliveries. One third of respondents say, however, that they cannot estimate who will win this game. At the same time, 39% are convinced that Romania’s natural resources will help it avoid an energy crisis this winter. A quarter of the respondents are not convinced of this.
On the other hand, the survey also shows that only 1 Romanian out of 10 is worried about the increase in loan interest rates. Regarding personal finances, more than a third of Romanians say that they have not saved money, and another third say that they have saved less than in 2021. Far fewer Romanians say that they are saving as much as in 2021 or that they are saving more money as compared to the previous year. The survey also shows that a third of Romanians expect property prices to rise, an almost equal percentage expect property prices to remain the same, and far fewer Romanians believe that property prices will decrease. The Avangarde survey was conducted between August 24 and 30, on a sample of 880 people, interviewed by phone. (LS)
