The purchasing power in Romania is among the weekest in Europe with an index of 27 points, compared to 100 in Austria. But Romania is still above Bulgaria, Turkey, Ukraine, Belarus, Macedonia and Serbia from this point of view, according to a study by Gfk Group.

The study says that while a person spends some 28% of her income on food in Poland, the percentage is double in Romania. And while 49% of the Austrian citizens are certain they will manage to save money over the coming year, only 22% of Romanians are optimistic about it.

That is, however, a better percentage than Hungary’s, where only 16% of the people hope to save money, or Poland (21%).

For Romanians, the main reason for savings stays in the need to have money for urgent situations, followed by the need to provide a better life for their children.

And asked about what would they do to save money profitably, 50% opted for a real estate investment, followed by bank savings. Only 15% of Romanians would invest their money in stocks, while 5% would choose investment funds.