Compared to the previous edition, Romania climbed from 13th to 9th place on the continent and from 33rd to 28th globally, as 51% of business leaders worldwide plan international expansion this year. Romania has surpassed countries with traditions in attracting international capital, including Portugal, Switzerland, Belgium and Greece.

"These data confirm a trend we observe from direct interactions with investors: Romania is no longer an exotic option, but a strategic one," said Daniel Anghel, Country Managing Partner PwC Romania. Between 2014 and 2024, the cumulative balance of foreign direct investment in Romania doubled from €62 billion to €125 billion. After a contraction in FDI flows in 2023 and early 2024, the second half of last year saw a strong recovery, closing at over €8 billion.

The investor profile choosing Romania is predominantly European: Poland, Turkey, Germany, Greece, Austria, Italy and Ukraine. Central European companies that previously oriented towards Germany, the UK or Netherlands now prefer investments in Central Europe, with Romania among top destinations. Companies like Zabka, Maspex, Polenergia and Elemental Holdings have already established themselves in the Romanian market.

However, only 10% of company leaders mentioning Romania are from outside Europe, showing that geographical proximity and European integration matter enormously, but also that Romania still has ground to cover to become visible to investors from Asia, the Middle East or America. The planned investment sectors include manufacturing, engineering and construction, retail, business services, banking and capital markets, transport and logistics, though technology is notably absent from investor priorities despite Romania's IT talent and ecosystem.