Romanian households, among the last in EU on recreation and culture spending

The households in Romania spent 5.8% of their total consumption expenditure on “recreation and culture” in 2017, this being the second lowest share in the EU, after the one recorded in Greece – 4.6%, according to data from the European Statistical Office Eurostat. At EU level, households spent 8.5% of their total consumption expenditure on "recreation and culture,” which represents a total expenditure of over EUR 710 billion, equivalent to 4.6% of EU GDP or EUR 1,400 per EU inhabitant, the same data showed. Among EU Member States, the largest shares were recorded in Denmark (11.5%), Sweden (11%), and Finland (10.5%). At the opposite end, Greece (4.6%) spent the lowest share of their household expenditure on “recreation and culture”, followed by Romania (5.8%), Ireland and Luxembourg (both 5.9%) and Cyprus (6%). However, the share of "recreation and culture" in total household expenditure increased between 2007 and 2017 in Romania by one percentage point, while decreasing in most Member States, according to Eurostat. The highest decrease over this 10-year period was recorded in Finland, from 12.3% of total household expenditure in 2007 to 10.5% in 2017, or a decrease of 1.8 percentage points. Book sales up 10% in Romania in 2018 Irina Marica, irina.marica@romania-insider.com (photo source: Pexels.com)