Romania records the lowest price level in the European Union for the "Food and non-alcoholic beverages" group, standing at 78% of the EU average, while the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita, calculated based on purchasing power parity (PPP), reached 77% of the EU average, according to a press release from the National Institute of Statistics (INS), which is based on the most recent data published by Eurostat.
"According to the Eurostat press release, Romania is the cheapest Member State for the group "Food and non-alcoholic beverages" (78%), followed by Slovakia (84%) and Poland (87%). At the opposite side of the scale there is Luxembourg (124%), which is the most expensive Member State for the same group, followed by Denmark (120%). Bulgaria records the lowest price level for the groups "Alcoholic beverages and tobacco" (68%), "Clothing and footwear" (78%) and "Housing management, water, electricity, gas and other fuels" (39%), followed by Poland and Slovakia, for the group "Alcoholic beverages and tobacco" (83%), and by Croatia for the group "Housing management, water, electricity, gas and other fuels" (44%). Denmark has the highest price level for products included in the group "Clothing and footwear" (133%), and Ireland is the most expensive EU country for products in the groups "Alcoholic beverages and tobacco" (203%) and "Housing management, water, electricity, gas and other fuels" (187%) respectively", the INS mentions.
According to the same source, Bulgaria and Romania have the lowest price levels among EU countries for the group "Recreation, sport and culture" (64%). Bulgaria remains the cheapest member state for the groups "Furniture, household equipment and current home maintenance" (77%), "Transport" (69%) and "Restaurants and accommodation services" (55%).
Denmark is the most expensive country in the EU for the groups "Furniture, household equipment and current home maintenance" (127%), "Transport" (125%), "Recreation, sport and culture" (142%) as well as for restaurants and accommodation services (149%) group.
The press release also states that Romania has a GDP per capita volume index value, calculated on the basis of PPP, which places it at 77% of the European Union average, followed by Hungary, with 76% of the EU average. The lowest value of Gross Domestic Product per capita, in 2024, was recorded by Bulgaria, 34% below the EU average.
The highest level of GDP per capita in the European Union was recorded by Luxembourg, exceeding the EU average by 145%, the explanation being that a large number of foreign citizens have an increased share in the country's total workforce and contribute to the achievement of GDP, but are not part of the resident population.
The INS mentions that the information presented is based on calculations made by Eurostat in December 2025, both on the basis of consumer prices collected by the participating countries for a common nomenclature of comparable goods and services, selected as representative for the consumption patterns of the 36 European countries, and on the basis of data on the expenditure elements of GDP and other basic information transmitted according to Regulation (EC) No. 1445/2007.
Price level indices express how many units of the same currency are needed to purchase an identical volume of goods and services in different countries, for each group of goods and services. In 2024, 100 euros are paid for consumer goods and services in the composition of final consumption at the European Union level, and at the two extremes are Denmark (141 euros) and Bulgaria (61 euros).
The lowest price level for consumer goods and services in household final consumption, within the member states, was recorded in 2024 in Bulgaria, being 39% lower than the EU average, followed by Romania (36% below the EU average).
According to the INS, in 2024, among the member states of the European Union, the highest price level for household final consumption was recorded in Denmark (41% above the EU average), followed by Ireland (37% above the EU average), Luxembourg (31% above the EU average) and Finland (22% above the EU average).
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