UNICEF: Romania ranks 10th in child poverty among 44 high-income countries

Romania ranks 14th out of 40 countries for income inequality, with the wealthiest fifth earning 5.73 times more than the poorest fifth, according to the “Unequal Chances – Children and Economic Inequality” report released by UNICEF on Tuesday, May 12. Among the countries with comparable data included in the report, Romania ranks 10th in child poverty, with a monetary child poverty rate of 26.2% for 2024.

The report analyzes the relationship between economic inequalities and children’s well-being in 44 OECD member and high-income countries, and finds that in most of these states, income inequality and child poverty rates remain extremely high. On average across all countries, households in the top 20% by income earn more than five times as much as those in the bottom 20%, while nearly one in five children lives in income poverty, meaning their basic needs are at risk of not being met.