- Housing tops the financial agenda of young Romanians, with 82% of those aged between 18 and 35 believing the state should do more to help in this area.
- Insufficient savings: 59% of young Romanians have enough money saved to sustain themselves only for a month or less. And 25% say they never have any money left at the end of the month.
- A clear majority (70%) of young Romanians say they would be willing to move abroad to further their careers or increase their income.
- Nearly two thirds (62%) of those surveyed worry about conscription being reintroduced.
- Young Romanians rely on informal channels for financial education and information. Their main sources of financial information: internet searches (42%), parents (41%) and social media (34%) while 12% follow influencers.
An independent survey by Cook Communications looked at the issues of money and conscription and what issues are of concern to the 18-35 year-old Romanians.
The “Young Money Matters” took an in-depth look at how young people earn, spend and save their money, where they invest, which financial products they use, and where they seek financial advice.
The surveys were carried out simultaneously in Romania, the Czech Republic and Poland, with 1,000 respondents in each country, weighted across all administrative regions to provide truly nationwide reflections of young people and their money.
This year’s YMM study included several questions that reflect current events, while the survey overall again focused on how young people earn, spend and save their money. As with last year’s poll, financial education, or the lack thereof, remains an issue.
Informal information on social media and advice from parenrs play a influencing young Romanians’ financial behavior.
Among the top issues on young Romanian minds is housing, a major concern given that the means to acquire a home of their own seem elusive. After an extended period of high interest rates and inflation, the survey shows that only 10% of young Romanians have a mortgage and even fewer are interested in getting one, just 5%, while a large majority (82%) would welcome greater government support for affordable housing.
“The housing concerns of young Romanians and their expectation that the government should do more to help come through loud and clear in this year’s survey, providing food for thought for central and local policy makers and the financial services sector,” said Joe Cook, founder and managing director of Cook Communications.
“We hope YMM 2025 will once again spark discussion on the concerns of younger Romanians among educators, regulators, within the financial sector and, above all, among the young Romanians themselves.”
Despite a challenging economic situation in the country, a large majority (75%) of young Romanians are optimistic that they can achieve their financial goals, less than a year ago, when about 81% of respondents held the same hopes.
Further affecting young Romanians’ optimism is the war raging in next-door Ukraine Around three out of five (62%) young people in Romania worry about conscription and military service being reintroduced.
Notably, one widely perceived way of getting ahead in life is to emigrate, with 70% of young Romanians saying they would be willing to move abroad to further their careers or increase their income.
Over half (57%) would move to another EU member state and almost a quarter (23%) to the US. This may prod policy makers into helping young people to access opportunities at home, including by providing affordable housing in the urban areas where the economy is booming and jobs are available.
Rising costs of living and modest salaries mean that most young Romanians lack adequate financial reserves – typically no more than the equivalent of two months of expenses. However, more than half say their savings would cover one month’s costs or less. This affects young people’s aspirations, keeping them focused on immediate needs.
‘Having enough money to not have to worry about paying my bills each month’ (17%) has become young Romanians’ top financial aspiration in this year’s survey, taking over the top spot from ‘Having enough money to be able to provide for myself and my family’, which fell to second place with (16%). ‘Owning my own home’ (14%) rounds out the top three aspirations for young Romanians.
Despite ongoing efforts to make investing more accessible to younger generations—and the growing availability of small-amount investing through various platforms—there has been little measurable improvement. Among the 75% of young Romanians who have money left at the end of the month, 31% move it into a savings account and 23% leave it in their current account. Only 13% of young Romanians seek a financial investment product – lower than the 16% who gamble their money.
When it comes to financial education and guidance most young people predominantly rely on informal channels: internet searches (42%), parents (41%) and social media (34%), while 12% follow influencers and 77% of those who do, trust their advice. Schools rank low as a source of financial knowledge, cited by 11% of those surveyed. Many young Romanians continue to lack both awareness of, and interest in, investment opportunities.
All three national surveys, in their national languages and English, and a concise comparative report in English, can be downloaded at www.cook-comm.com/young-money-matters
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