Life expectancy at birth in Romania increased by more than four years between 2000 and 2019, but decreased by 1.4 years in 2020 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and remains among the lowest in the European Union, reported Agerpres. Risky health behaviours are responsible for more than half of all deaths. This is one of the conclusions of the State of Health in the EU report published today.

Romanians report relatively high rates of smoking, unhealthy eating, alcohol consumption and reduced physical activity. Overweight, obesity and smoking rates among adolescents are also high and have been steadily rising over the past two decades.

Romania’s per capita spending on prevention ranks second to last in the EU. This meant that before the pandemic, public health was underfunded and underperforming. For example, among the elderly, the rate of seasonal flu vaccination had dropped considerably, from just over half of the target age group in 2007 to about a fifth in 2018, the report said.

Country Health Profiles 2021: Romania: English