Education Financing in Romania in a European Comparative Perspective: Empirical Evidence and Policy Implications

The purpose of this research is to evaluate the adequacy, structure, and effectiveness of education financing in Romania during the period 2020–2025, using a comparative European Union perspective. The main research objectives are to analyse the dynamics of public education expenditure in relation to GDP and EU benchmarks, to examine the allocation between current and capital expenditures, and to assess the implications of financing patterns for educational equity and system performance. The findings highlight persistent underinvestment compared to EU standards, the strong predominance of current spending, and significant territorial disparities in educational outcomes. Despite recent increases in funding and the extensive use of European Union financial instruments, including the Recovery and Resilience Facility, structural weaknesses in the financing framework remain largely unresolved. The study contributes to education economics and public finance literature by formulating evidence-based policy implications aimed at improving fiscal sustainability, allocative efficiency, and social equity in emerging European education systems.