Like France and Poland, Romania has a wide gap between rich and poor. Bucharest leads in the ranking of purchasing power by regions, with its average being 86% higher than the national average, but still 8% lower than the European average.
Purchasing power in Bucharest is three times higher than in the lowest ranked county, Vaslui, where net disposable income stands at about 56% of the national average and a little less than 28% of the European average.
There were some changes in 2021: Sibiu and Brasov moved to fifth and sixth places, while Alba beat Prahova to ninth. All top ten counties have an average purchasing power that is significantly higher than the national average.
Constanta, ranked 11th, has a purchasing power about as high as the national average, while all the other counties are below average.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)