Romanians are struggling to save money: Only one in 10 saved over the past year

Only 8.7% of Romanians managed to put money aside over the past year, while many households relied on savings or debt to cover everyday needs, according to the Consumer Sentiment Romania 2026 study by MKOR.

A quarter of respondents said they used savings accumulated earlier, and 23% said they had to borrow for basic expenses. Only one-quarter of the households surveyed reported covering those expenses entirely from their available income. Economic analyst Adrian Negrescu told Adevărul that household finances remained fragile because current incomes no longer covered essential needs for a substantial part of the population.

Basic expenses were the biggest pressure cited by families, with 52% of respondents identifying them as a major burden. Food prices were the most visible source of increases: 86% noticed higher costs in their grocery baskets, compared with 74% for fuel and 69% for utility bills.

The study has tracked Romanians’ views of the economy, household finances and workplace conditions for three years. In the second quarter of 2026, 87% of respondents fell into the pessimistic category, up from 74% in the third quarter of 2023. The share of optimists fell from 16% to 8% over the same period.

Negrescu said annual inflation had fallen to 8.2% in July 2026, but prices remained much higher than in previous years. He attributed the pressure on purchasing power to the gap between nominal wage growth and real incomes, along with economic stagnation during the first part of the year. Although perceived inflation had eased compared with earlier years, 75% still said prices had risen significantly, and 69% expected price increases to continue or accelerate.

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The financial situation of households in Romania remains fragile