There were 5.2 million pensioners in Romania in the second quarter of this year, down 9,000 compared to the previous three months.

The average monthly pension amounted to RON 1,022 (EUR 222), up 0.6% over the previous month, according to the National Statistics Institute (INS).

The ratio between the average pension and the net wage reached 51.1% during this period, compared to 52.2% in the previous quarter. For every ten employees there were nine pensioners, according to INS. The ratio varied across Romania, from five pensioners to ten employees in Bucharest, to 17 pensioners per ten employees in Teleorman county.

The gap between the minimum and the maximum pension also varied in the country, from RON 790 (EUR 172) in Botosani county to RON 1,247 (EUR 271) in Bucharest.

Romanian pensioners currently receive their pensions from the state, via a fund that is fueled monthly from the taxes paid by employees. Prime minister Mihai Tudose recently announced that the mandatory private pension system, also called the second pillar, will not be abolished, but will become optional.

editor@romania-insider.com