"2012 was the year of the electoral campaign - local elections in June and general elections in December. As usually during the electoral campaigns of recent years, the politicians’ promises have a very persuasive effect on the Romanians, which translates into an increased confidence indicator. In addition, December comes with an improved perception for Romanians, "magic" of Christmas holidays influencing them in a good way," said Andi Dumitrescu, General Director of GfK Romania.
Over half of Romanians said last month that their household’s financial situation is worse than 12 months ago, while one in ten people believe their situation is improved. Regarding the financial perspectives, only 28% say they will worsen, compared to December 2010 when over half of the population have the same bleak expectations. Number of optimists is higher by 6 percent compared to December 2010 and 2011, reaching 21%.
68% of respondents stated that the present general economic situation has suffered a setback last year compared to 2011. Only 7% of Romanians believe the economic situation has improved during the last year, while hopes for 2013 are slightly higher, 21% of them expecting to live better.
Unemployment prospects are somewhat better. Media of pessimists in 2012 stands at only 63.5% compared with 71% in 2011 and 84.5% in 2010. In December 2012, 9% of respondents even said they are optimistic about the evolution of unemployment rate.
When referring to investment in durable goods, the number of those who believed in December that it is not a good time for buying durables is decreasing compared to December 2011, 55% of Romanians saying they do not intend to buy a major household item the following year. Also, the attitude towards saving registers changes for the better. 78.5% of Romanians believe there is not a favorable time to put away, while more than half say that their income barely covers their current spending. The percentage of those who say they are running into debt has improved comparing to the end of 2010, standing at 19%.
The information comes from the Consumer Confidence Barometer, a study financed by the European Commission and conducted by GfK Romania monthly. The data are representative of Romania's population aged 15 and over, the sample being of 1,000 people.
GfK Romania
GfK Romania, founded in 1992, is an integral part of GfK Group. For 10 years now GfK Romania has been the number 1 market research institute in Romania. Its activities are structured into five segments: Custom Research - Ad Hoc qualitative and quantitative research for a wide range of industries (consumer goods, telecommunications and IT, finance, retail, tourism, automotive, industrial goods), Consumer Tracking – continuous research for consumer goods, Retail and Technology - continuous research for durable goods, Media - qualitative and quantitative research on the consumption of media products and Healthcare- qualitative and quantitative research in all medical fields.
Founded in 1934, as the first market research company in Germany, GfK Group has today more than 150 branches in 100 countries on five continents. GfK Group is one of the largest market research organizations in the world. For further information, visit the website: www.gfk-ro.com
