Romanian central bank maintains key interest rate at 6.50%
The Board of the National Bank of Romania (NBR) decided in its meeting on 17 February 2026 to keep the monetary policy rate at 6.50% per annum.
The Board of the National Bank of Romania (NBR) decided in its meeting on 17 February 2026 to keep the monetary policy rate at 6.50% per annum.
The National Bank of Romania (NBR) has decided to keep its monetary policy rate unchanged at 6.50% per annum, following a meeting of its Board on October 8.
Mortgage interest rates are projected to increase in the second half of 2025, impacting both fixed-rate mortgages, which constitute over 99% of new mortgage volumes, and variable-rate mortgages, according to a recent analysis by online broker Ipotecare.ro and SVN Romania | Credit & Financial Solutions.
The National Bank of Romania (BNR) decided on Monday to maintain the key interest rate at 6.5%, while warning that the inflation rate could pick up in Q2 2025 and the labor market remain unfazed.
The central bank decided to lower the key interest rate twice this year, in July, from 7% per annum to 6.75% per annum, and in August to 6.5% per annum.

Bucharest is consolidating its position within the Central and Eastern European (CEE) real estate market, combining rental growth across major asset classes with investment yields that remain well above Western European levels, according to the DNA of Real Estate Europe Q2 2026 report published by Cushman & Wakefield. Across Europe in Q2 2026, prime office rents rose 4.5% year-on-year, retail rents increased 3.0%, and logistics rents grew 2.4%, while investors remained selective as yield movements pointed to a more balanced market following the repricing cycle of recent years.
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.
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.
Digi Spain has announced its intention to launch an initial public offering (IPO) on the Spanish stock exchanges, aiming to raise approximately €150 million.