When poverty meets affluence
Written by: Anne Britt Djuve, Jon Horgen Friberg, Guri Tyldum and Huafeng Zhang
The book examines the social and economic conditions for Romanian immigrant street-people in the Scandinavian capitals. The book is published in Norway and is the result of a collaboration between the Norwegian research foundation Fafo and the ROCKWOOL Foundation. Among other things, the book puts paid to the myth that Romanian street people do not beg out of need, but live in luxury in their home countries; and likewise to the idea that the money they receive goes mainly to criminal gangs who organise their begging activities. The study also shows that the Romanians who come to Stockholm have a lower level of education and experience of employment, and also earn less, than those who travel to the other Scandinavian capitals.
Related publications

Knowledge overview
Homeless Romanians on the streets of Scandinavia come from conditions of extreme poverty
Go to knowledge overviewLatest releases on the same welfare topic

Research report
Attrition in longitudinal surveys and estimates of the effect of health on the employment of older workers
June 2025

Research report
Health and employment of older workers – an analysis using administrative data
June 2025

Knowledge overview
Health Declines After Age 45 Contribute Only Modestly to the Drop in Employment by Age 70
June 2025

Research report
Using Tax Kinks to Estimate the Marginal Propensity to Consume
June 2025