Romania's Poverty Rate on the Rise
Bucharest | 08 July 2010 |
The report, drafted by the local Partners Foundation for Local Development, also shows that Romania is among the countries that spend the lowest percentage of gross domestic product on social welfare. Romania spends 12.8 per cent of Gross Domestic Product, compared to the EU average of 25.2 per cent.
In fact, Romania's social welfare spending decreased to 12.8 per cent in 2005-2008, from 13.2 per cent of GDP.
The organisation also said the number of NGOs providing social services is decreasing because of policies that have encouraged the development of state-run social services, funded with taxpayer money.
If in 2006 NGOs accounted for 73.8 per cent of accredited service providers, in 2010 they only account for 48.7 per cent. NGOs provide a quarter of alternative child protection services in Romania, the report states. They also assist 41 per cent of the country's population in need of home care services and over 58 per cent of the elderly.
Although now members of the European Union, Romania, together with Bulgaria, are the poorest states within the bloc, despite huge growth in the local economy.
