Economy of Romania

Economy of Romania
	Bucharest, the financial center of Romania
Currency	Romanian leu (RON)
Fiscal year	Calendar year
Trade organisations	EU, WTO and BSEC
Country group	Developing country; High-income economy;
Statistics
Population	19,036,031 (2025)
GDP	$444 billion (nominal; 2026); $949 billion (PPP; 2026);
GDP rank	41st (nominal, 2025); 35th (PPP, 2025);
GDP growth	2.4% (2023); 0.8% (2024); 0.9% (2025); 1.4% (2026);
GDP per capita	$23,770 (nominal, 2026); $50,750 (PPP, 2026);
GDP per capita rank	54th (nominal, 2025); 45th (PPP, 2025);
GDP by sector	agriculture: 3.3%; industry: 25%; services: 62.5%; (2024);
Inflation (CPI)	8.5% (2025)
Population below poverty line	21.1% (2022);
Gini coefficient	29.8 low (2023)
Human Development Index	0.845 very high (2023) (55th); 0.758 high IHDI (46th) (2023);
Corruption Perceptions Index	45 out of 100 points (2025, 70th)
Labour force	7.742 million (2025); 69.5% employment rate (2024);
Labour force by occupation	agriculture: 11.4%; industry & constr.: 23.0%; services: 65.5%; (2025);
Unemployment	5.9% (2025)
Average gross salary	RON 9,078 / €1,783 / $2,061 monthly (November 2025)
Average net salary	RON 5,443 / €1,069 / $1,236 monthly (November 2025)
Main industries	Electric machinery and equipment, auto assembly, textiles and footwear, light machinery, metallurgy, chemicals, food processing, petroleum refining, mining, timber, construction materials.
External
Exports	$100.31 billion (2024); (40th)
Export goods	List Electrical machines and equipment; Transport vehicles and materials; Metals and metal articles; Plastic and rubber materials; Vegetable products; Footwear, textiles and hats; Food products, drinks and tobacco; Optical, photographic, cinematographic and surgical devices; Chemical and mineral products; Wood products (furniture); Livestock and animal products; Paper; Stone; plaster and ceramic articles; Leather, furs, fats and oils; Refined petroleum ;
Main export partners	Germany 18.9%; Italy 9.61%; Hungary 6.79%; France 5.76%; Bulgaria 3.92%; Poland 3.65%; Netherlands 3.35%; Turkey 3.18%; United Kingdom 3.12%; Spain 2.91% (2022);
Imports	$136.41 billion (2024) (38th);
Import goods	List Electrical machines and equipment; Mechanical appliances, nuclear reactors, boilers, and parts thereof; Vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling stock, and parts & accessories thereof; Mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation; Plastics and articles thereof; Pharmaceutical products; Iron, steel & articles thereof; Optical, photographic, cinematographic instruments and apparatus; Miscellaneous chemical products; Crude petroleum ;
Main import partners	Germany 19.1%; Italy 9.06%; Hungary 6.5%; Poland 6.3%; China 6.1%; Turkey 5.05%; France 4.3%; Bulgaria 3.9%; Netherlands 3.8%; Austria 3.3% (2021);
FDI stock	€100.288 / $114.068 billion (31 Dec 2021); Abroad: €2.793 / $3.177 billion (31 Dec 2021);
Current account	−8% of GDP (2025); −$33.675 billion (2025);
Gross external debt	€ 221.2 billion (2025)
Public finances
Government debt	61.2% of GDP (2025); $258.58 billion (2025);
Foreign reserves	€ 65.347 billion (2025) (33rd)
Budget balance	−8% of GDP (2024); $−33.675 billion (2024);
Revenues	31.04% of GDP (2024); $131.15 billion (2024);
Expenses	36.62% of GDP (2024); $154.72. billion (2024);
Economic aid	€30.84 billion from European Structural and Investment Funds (2014–2020);
Credit rating	Standard & Poor's (2025):; BBB− (Domestic); A-3 (Foreign); A− (T&C Assessment); Outlook: Negative; Moody's (2025):; Baa3; Outlook: Negative; Fitch (2025):; BBB−; Outlook: Negative;
	All values, unless otherwise stated, are in US dollars.

Romania has a high-income market economy that has achieved rapid convergence toward European Union standards since joining in 2007, with per capita income rising from 26% of the EU average in 2000 to 78% by 2024, driven by foreign direct investment in manufacturing and services amid post-communist reforms.

Romania's nominal GDP reached approximately $423 billion in 2024, reflecting real growth of 0.9% that year after 2.1% in 2023, propelled by sectors such as automotive industry, information technology outsourcing, and agriculture, though constrained by weak private investment and a widening trade deficit.

Key achievements include sustained employment expansion and innovation in high-value industries, yet defining challenges persist, including high fiscal deficits projected at 8.6% of GDP in 2025, corruption hindering institutional efficiency, and significant labor emigration exacerbating skills shortages and demographic pressures.