2.3.2. Overcrowding

Figure 3. Overburden rate. Source: Eurostat (2014)

One possible explanation for these results could be the inequality in wealth distribution. The Eurostat (2012) data reveals that in Romania the poorest 10% of the population, have an income share of only 1.4%, which is the lowest in the EU, whilst the richest 10% have 20% of the share. (Eurostat, 2012)

2.3.2. Overcrowding

Overcrowding has been observed to be one of the common negative legacies of the regimes in former communist countries (Tsenkova and Polanska, 2014). Romanian housing sector still suffers high levels of overcrowding even after many years from the revolution (Soaita, 2014). As seen in the 2014 Eurostat statistics, Romania has the highest level of overcrowding in the whole European Union with more than 50% of the population having to deal with this issue (Eurostat, 2014). This results in around 10 million people being affected. In addition, if we are to look at the population at risk of poverty, 67% are affected by this phenomenon (see Figure 4). For this specific population, only in Hungary the situation is worse (see Figure 4). A census from 2002 showed that 1/3 of the urban housing stock and 1/4 of the rural stock were overcrowded (National Institute of Statistics, 2002). Around 3 million Romanians use less than 6 m2 of space and another 3 million between 6 and 8 m2 (Soaita, 2014). This is less space than even what the communist regime was providing for to the population (see section 2.2.1).