Romanian businesses expect economic slowdown in early 2026
Romanian business managers across key sectors forecast a moderate decline in economic activity for December 2025 to February 2026, according to the latest survey from the INS.
Romanian business managers across key sectors forecast a moderate decline in economic activity for December 2025 to February 2026, according to the latest survey from the INS.
Romania's economy grew 0.8% on the gross series and 1.4% on the seasonally adjusted series in the first nine months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024.
Industrial production prices (domestic and external markets) increased by 8% in October 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, according to data published by Romania's National Institute of Statistics (INS).
Romania's construction work volume increased by 9.3% in the first nine months compared to the same period in 2024, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics (INS).
The annual inflation rate, measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), reached 9.8% in October 2025, according to the National Institute of Statistics.
New orders in the total manufacturing industry (domestic and foreign markets) saw a nominal decrease in August 2025, falling by 28.5% compared to July 2025.
The volume of construction works increased by 9.7% in the first eight months of 2025 compared to the similar period in 2024, according to the gross series data from INS.
Romania's crude oil production decreased by 7.7% in the first eight months of 2025, while imports rose by 19.2%.
Romania's GDP increased by 0.3% on the unadjusted series and 1.5% on the seasonally adjusted series in the first six months of the year, compared to the first half of 2024.
Romania's crude oil production reached 1.46 million tonnes of oil equivalent (toe) in the first seven months of this year, a decrease of 119,600 toe (7.6%).
Foreign direct investment (FDI) in Romania experienced a notable reduction in 2024, according to data compiled by the National Bank of Romania (BNR) and INS.
The volume of construction works grew by 12.2% in unadjusted terms and by 10.7% as a seasonally and working-day adjusted series in the first seven months of 2025 versus the same period of last year, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INS).
Romania's annual inflation rate rose to 9.9% in August, up from 7.84% in July, driven by growth of prices for non-food goods (10.48%), services (9.85%), and food products (8.92%).
Romania's trade deficit grew by 7.1% in the first seven months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, reaching €19.3 billion, which was €1.2 billion higher year-on-year.
Industrial production prices (covering both domestic and external markets) increased by 2.7% in July 2025 compared to the same month in 2024.
Romanian airports experienced a strong performance in H1 2025, with air passenger traffic increasing by 7.9% compared to the same period of last year, according to the INS.
The number of tourist arrivals in Bucharest reached 777,756 in the first five months of 2025, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics (INS).
The wholesale trade sector experienced an overall decline in H1 2025 compared to the same period in 2024.
Romania's GDP recorded an increase in Q2 2025, according to flash estimates from the National Institute of Statistics (INS).
Romania's annual inflation rate has surged to 7.8% in July 2025, marking a significant increase from the previous month, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INS).

Energy company Electrica informs investors and the capital market that it has obtained the technical grid connection permits (ATR) for 17 new battery energy storage projects (BESS), with a total capacity of approximately 700 MWh.
The European Retail Banking Radar, Kearney's latest study now in its 18th edition, shows that Europe is entering a period of normalisation following the conditions of 2023–2025. For Romania, the challenge extends beyond the normalisation of interest rates.
Digi Spain has announced its intention to launch an initial public offering (IPO) on the Spanish stock exchanges, aiming to raise approximately €150 million.
Romania's national electricity transmission network operator, Transelectrica, has halted scheduled maintenance shutdowns to ensure the grid operates at maximum capacity during an ongoing extreme heatwave. The preventive measures aim to mitigate operational risks associated with severe weather conditions.
The European Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, Romanian measures for the national investment and development bank Banca de Investiții și Dezvoltare (BID).