(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 27 NOV - A big percentage of people in several European Union member states in Central-and Eastern Europe are unable to face unexpected financial expenses, data made recently public by Eurostat show.

According to the EU statistical office, the highest proportion of people having problems facing unexpected expenses was registered in Latvia (59.9%), followed by the latest country that joined the EU, Croatia, with 56.2%, and by Bulgaria (53.2%). High proportions of people in potential economic difficulties were found also in Greece (52.7%), in Romania (52.5%) and Lithuania (50.6%), all countries with very much higher share of population unable to face unexpected financial expenses than the EU average, at 33.9% in 2017, -2,5% compared with 2016. Certain CEE countries, however, have registered a lower proportion of people having problems facing unexpected expenses, including Czechia (28.5%, -4% compared to 2016), and Hungary (31.5%, -19,3%). Also Slovenia recorded a large decrease, from 41.7% in 2016 to 37.1% in 2017 (-4,6%). (ANSA).