Romania economy shows rising insolvencies amid surging M&A activity

Romania's economic landscape in 2026 presents a complex mix of rising business instability and significant investment activity. Data from the National Trade Register Office (ONRC) shows that insolvencies for companies and authorized individuals rose by 4.85% in the first eight months of the year, totaling 4,782 cases. Bucharest recorded the highest number of insolvencies, followed by Bihor and Cluj. Additionally, the number of dissolved firms increased by nearly 3% compared to 2025.

Entrepreneur sentiment is largely negative, with a survey by IMM Romania indicating that over 80% of respondents believe the business environment has deteriorated. Key concerns include rising operating costs due to energy and fuel prices, as well as decreasing demand. Many entrepreneurs are calling for reduced labor taxation and dividend taxes.

Conversely, the mergers and acquisitions (M&A) market saw substantial growth, more than doubling to an estimated EUR 2.3 billion in the third quarter of 2026. This surge is attributed to sustained investor interest and positive fiscal indicators. Furthermore, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Romania reported that the top 12,943 performing companies achieved a combined turnover of nearly EUR 300 billion, a 4.34% increase from the previous year.

In the technology sector, ANIS highlights that while Romania's IT&C sector generates approximately EUR 23.6 billion in revenue, the broader adoption of advanced technologies like AI and cloud computing remains modest across the wider economy.