Income inequality in Romania, lower than in Spain (Eurostat)

Romania is among the European Union countries with the highest income inequality, surpassed only by Bulgaria, Lithuania and Spain, according to the data published by Eurostat on Thursday, based on data collected in 2017. 

Inequality was calculated as a ratio between the incomes of the richest top 20pct citizens of a country and the incomes of the poorest 20pct of the citizens, based on the equivalent available income. 

In 2017, this ratio in the European Union was 5.2. Among the member states, the Czech Republic and Slovenia had the lowest income inequality in 2017 (3.4). These countries were followed by Finland (3.5), Slovakia (3.5) and Belgium (3.8). 

In contrast, the member countries with the highest income inequality were Greece (6.1), Latvia (6.3), Romania (6.5), Spain (6.6), Lithuania (7.3) and Bulgaria (8.2). 

The way incomes and wealth are distributed in a society determines the extent to which individuals have equal access to goods and services produced within a national economy.