Financial well-being and financial literacy in Romania: A survey dataset

Data Brief. 2022 Jun 25:43:108413. doi: 10.1016/j.dib.2022.108413. eCollection 2022 Aug.

Abstract

This article presents a dataset aiming to examine the nexus between financial well-being, financial behavior, and financial literacy in Romania. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted on a representative sample of 1,391 respondents, selected through a multistage stratified random procedure. The questionnaire encompasses 34 questions aimed at uncovering individual abilities to manage personal finances, attitudes towards several financial instruments or techniques and financial knowledge. We construct one index for measuring financial well-being and three difficulty-ranked financial literacy indices. The indices are adapted to existing measuring techniques to allow for cross-country comparisons. The dataset connects research on the factors determining financial well-being, socio-economic characteristics or behavioral traits, with the measurement of financial knowledge and skills. The provided data can be used by policy makers in designing a national strategy of financial education, as well as by education providers and practitioners in their teaching process. The academy and researchers could also use this data to conduct inter-country financial analysis or studies at the aggregate level.

Keywords: Financial well-being; Romania; financial behavior; financial education; financial knowledge.