What will drive Romania’s next wave of economic growth? - Commentary

Romania has achieved one of the fastest economic convergence processes in the European Union over the past two decades. GDP per capita in purchasing power standards rose from approximately 44% of the EU average in 2007 to 78% in 2025.
This means Romania closed the gap with the European average by approximately 34 percentage points in less than two decades. The process was uneven, however: the Bucharest–Ilfov region substantially exceeded the EU average, while some regions in the east and south of the country remained below half the European level.

By Ioan Nistor, BT Chief Economist

The model that supported this catch-up is beginning to show its limits.