Income distribution and social welfare

The actuality of the selected topic resides in the fact that the income level, as a social and economic category, appears as an indicator of the “social price” of the changes occurring in the daily life, during the great changes in the society. The world experience shows us that the preparation and implementation, within due deadlines, of the complex programs of economic development lead to the improvement of the living standards of the citizens. The generally low living standard in Romania, as compared to that recorded in other European countries, underlines the feeling that the income distribution is unjust, which affects the economic and social behavior, as well as the social cohesion. Adopting and implementing certain social and economic policies oriented towards bringing back and maintaining the inequity within reasonable limits require information regarding its level and evolution trends, knowing the causes and determining factors, as well as the connection with the economic and social development. This paper presents an approach of the population’s welfare by equally capturing the economic and social factors, by measuring the objective and subjective components, objectified by people’s aspirations and satisfactions, without however minimizing the important economic factor – the income.