TWO DECADES OF POVERTY DISPARITIES IN ROMANIA

Abstract

The past two decades of economic and social evolution in Romania can be split in three distinct periods: the market economy transition, the pre-accession to EU and the EU integration. Since systemic enhancement was expected along the analysed time period the indicators regarding the poverty and the risk of poverty including along with the income source, nature and volume are used in the present paper to pinpoint the recorded evolution and indicate changes with fixed or volatile reference base.  The secondary datasets for the historic evolution at the regional level allow geographic trends to be compared among the regions and checked for internal or external disruptive factors. The levels of income originating in agriculture and sector related activities are positively high, particularly when compared to the freelance and self-employment activities designating the rural areas as a stability generating environment in terms of economic and social indicators although possibly different form the general expectations in terms of living standard. The wide discrepancies among the regions in terms of poverty rates or exclusion risks become even stiffer when addressing neighbouring regions. The observed outcomes and economic impact can be coupled with certain general determinants as transversal to all the national territory yet more accented in certain regions, eventually supplemented by the migration phenomena. The concluding remarks point out several shortcomings of the evolution and present situation regarding the mid- and long-term regional development in terms of balance and reasonability. Presently the local or spotted interventions output significantly high levels of return proving interest and commitment to the future development yet the systemic adjustments in terms of public policy fall behind the expectations of the concerned actors.