Romania, Bulgaria score lowest in SEE in EU social justice index - Bertelsmann

The two countries also ranked 26th and 27th in EU-28, respectively, in terms of social justice, ranking higher only comparing to Greece which was 28th, Bertelsmann said in its Social Justice in the EU–Index Report 2017.

The social justice index was calculated on the basis of six components - poverty prevention, equitable education, labor market access, social cohesion and non-discrimination, health and Intergenerational justice.

Bulgaria performed poorly in poverty prevention as more than 40% of the country's population remained under such risk, most than in any other EU member state. The country was also ranked at the last place in the EU-28 in terms of social cohesion and non-discrimination.

Romania was ranked 27th in terms of poverty prevention, equitable education, social cohesion and non-discrimination.

"One major policy challenge confronting the Romanian government is poverty prevention (ranked 27th in EU). In 2016, an alarming 38.8% of Romanians were at risk of poverty or social exclusion, the second-highest rate in the EU."

Details on EU member states in SEE region follow:

Source: Bertelsmann

Denmark had the highest score in the social justice index, performing best in equitable education and labor market access. Greece, on the opposite was the worst performer in the EU, falling behind other countries in intergenerational justice and labour market access.