Romania industrial output decline 2026

In May 2026 Romania’s national industrial production fell for the fifth consecutive month, dropping 2.8 % from the previous month and 5.3 % year‑on‑year. Manufacturing led the decline with a 7.9 % YoY fall, while extraction and energy sectors also contracted. Analysts attribute the slowdown to higher energy costs, inflation and weaker orders from Germany, Romania’s main export market. The downturn leaves industrial output at about 15.8 % of GDP, well below its share a decade earlier, and places Romania among the EU’s weakest performers.

County‑level data for early 2026 show divergent trends. In Brașov County, wholesale trade turnover plunged 20 % from January to May compared with the previous year, while retail sales were essentially flat, slipping only 0.1 % and still outperforming the national retail decline of 5.5 %. Conversely, Timiș County’s industrial output slipped 2.1 % in the first five months, yet its external trade remained robust: exports reached €2.91 billion, generating a €359 million surplus, the region’s highest. Unemployment stayed at 1 %, the lowest in the western region, and average net salaries rose to 6,244 lei. Tourism rebounded with over 34,000 arrivals in May, and residential construction continued.

Together, the snapshots illustrate a national industrial contraction persisting into mid‑2026, while regional economies experience mixed outcomes—some facing sharp trade declines, others maintaining strong export performance and low unemployment.