Europe & Central Asia · High income
Romania: the economy in numbers
Per person: $22,538, or $50,895 at purchasing power parity. Population: 19 million (2025).
GDP in 2025, current US dollars: #38 of 204 economies. IMF forecast for 2026: −0.5%.
GDP
Adjusted for US inflation, in 2025 dollars: $108 billion in 1987, $429 billion in 2025.
GDP per capita
In 2025 dollars: $4,704 per person in 1987, $22,538 in 2025.
Real GDP growth
Average over 2016–2025: 3.0% a year. Years of falling GDP since 1980: 12 of 46.
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)
Inflation
Consumer prices rose 5.94 times from 2000 to 2025. Highest annual inflation: 255.2% in 1993. Years with inflation above 100%: 6. The chart cuts the scale at 100%; “Full scale” shows everything.
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)
Government debt, % of GDP
Highest since 2000: 60.4% of GDP in 2025. IMF forecast for 2031: 71.3%.
Stock market capitalization, % of GDP
In 2025 listed domestic companies were worth $70.9 billion, or 16.5% of GDP.
Population
1960: 18.4 million · 2025: 19 million.
Unemployment rate
1991: 8.2% · 2025: 6.0%.
Life expectancy at birth
1960: 65.9 years · 2024: 76.5 years.
Exports of goods and services
1990: 16.7% · 2025: 35.5%.
Data by year
Show the year-by-year table
| Year | GDP | GDP per capita | Per capita, PPP | Real growth | Inflation | Gov. debt, % GDP | Population | Unemployment | Stock market, % GDP | Life expectancy | Exports, % GDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2031 | 3.0%f | 2.3%f | 71.3%f | ||||||||
| 2030 | 2.9%f | 2.6%f | 69.8%f | ||||||||
| 2029 | 2.8%f | 2.9%f | 68.1%f | ||||||||
| 2028 | 2.5%f | 4.3%f | 66.1%f | ||||||||
| 2027 | 2.2%f | 4.1%f | 64.9%f | ||||||||
| 2026 | −0.5%f | 8.2%f | 62.6%f | ||||||||
| 2025 | $429B | $22,538 | $50,895 | 0.7% | 7.2% | 60.4% | 19M | 6.0% | 16.5% | 35.5% | |
| 2024 | $383B | $20,080 | $49,077 | 0.9% | 5.7% | 57.5% | 19.1M | 5.4% | 12.4% | 76.5 | 35.6% |
| 2023 | $348B | $18,244 | $45,982 | 2.3% | 10.4% | 52.6% | 19.1M | 5.6% | 13.8% | 76.4 | 39.2% |
| 2022 | $295B | $15,503 | $41,979 | 4.2% | 13.8% | 51.9% | 19M | 5.6% | 9.8% | 75.2 | 43.5% |
| 2021 | $285B | $14,908 | $37,534 | 5.6% | 5.1% | 51.8% | 19.1M | 5.6% | 11.3% | 72.8 | 40.7% |
| 2020 | $251B | $13,009 | $34,194 | −3.6% | 2.6% | 49.5% | 19.3M | 5.0% | 10.2% | 74.3 | 37.0% |
| 2019 | $250B | $12,910 | $33,425 | 4.0% | 3.8% | 36.8% | 19.4M | 3.9% | 10.4% | 75.6 | 40.3% |
| 2018 | $242B | $12,416 | $29,383 | 5.4% | 4.6% | 36.4% | 19.5M | 4.2% | 8.6% | 75.4 | 41.8% |
| 2017 | $210B | $10,728 | $26,943 | 8.2% | 1.3% | 37.1% | 19.6M | 4.9% | 11.2% | 75.2 | 42.3% |
| 2016 | $185B | $9,405 | $23,905 | 2.9% | −1.5% | 39.5% | 19.7M | 5.9% | 9.8% | 75.2 | 42.4% |
| 2015 | $178B | $8,977 | $21,625 | 3.2% | −0.6% | 39.4% | 19.8M | 6.8% | 10.4% | 74.9 | 41.3% |
| 2014 | $200B | $10,032 | $20,633 | 4.1% | 1.1% | 40.5% | 19.9M | 6.8% | 11.2% | 74.9 | 41.5% |
| 2013 | $190B | $9,498 | $19,678 | 0.3% | 4.0% | 39.3% | 20M | 7.1% | 12.9% | 75.1 | 40.2% |
| 2012 | $179B | $8,930 | $19,807 | 1.9% | 3.3% | 36.2% | 20.1M | 6.8% | 74.4 | 35.7% | |
| 2011 | $193B | $9,561 | $18,804 | 4.5% | 5.8% | 32.6% | 20.1M | 7.2% | 7.3% | 74.4 | 35.2% |
| 2010 | $170B | $8,400 | $17,355 | −3.9% | 6.1% | 30.2% | 20.2M | 7.0% | 8.4% | 73.5 | 31.6% |
| 2009 | $174B | $8,548 | $16,641 | −5.5% | 5.6% | 22.5% | 20.4M | 6.9% | 7.5% | 73.3 | 26.0% |
| 2008 | $214B | $10,435 | $16,782 | 9.3% | 7.9% | 13.0% | 20.5M | 5.8% | 7.1% | 72.6 | 26.2% |
| 2007 | $175B | $8,360 | $13,703 | 7.2% | 4.8% | 12.4% | 20.9M | 6.4% | 17.6% | 72.6 | 24.7% |
| 2006 | $122B | $5,758 | $11,554 | 8.0% | 6.6% | 12.7% | 21.2M | 7.3% | 20.7% | 72.2 | 24.8% |
| 2005 | $98.5B | $4,618 | $9,602 | 4.7% | 9.0% | 17.8% | 21.3M | 7.2% | 16.1% | 71.9 | 24.5% |
| 2004 | $75B | $3,495 | $8,989 | 10.4% | 11.9% | 21.3% | 21.5M | 7.7% | 14.6% | 71.6 | 25.7% |
| 2003 | $57.8B | $2,679 | $7,559 | 2.3% | 15.3% | 24.9% | 21.6M | 7.0% | 5.9% | 71.3 | 24.2% |
| 2002 | $46.1B | $2,120 | $7,162 | 5.7% | 22.5% | 27.4% | 21.7M | 8.1% | 5.4% | 71.0 | 24.0% |
| 2001 | $40.4B | $1,825 | $6,520 | 5.2% | 34.5% | 27.4% | 22.1M | 6.6% | 2.7% | 71.2 | 22.1% |
| 2000 | $37.3B | $1,660 | $5,850 | 2.5% | 45.7% | 29.6% | 22.4M | 7.0% | 1.0% | 71.2 | 21.6% |
| 1999 | $36B | $1,600 | $5,596 | −0.4% | 45.8% | 22.5M | 6.2% | 0.9% | 70.5 | 26.7% | |
| 1998 | $41.7B | $1,853 | $5,545 | −2.0% | 59.1% | 22.5M | 5.6% | 0.9% | 69.8 | 23.0% | |
| 1997 | $35.6B | $1,577 | $5,564 | −4.8% | 154.8% | 22.6M | 5.5% | 69.0 | 28.2% | ||
| 1996 | $36.9B | $1,633 | $5,746 | 3.9% | 38.8% | 22.6M | 6.7% | 69.1 | 26.5% | ||
| 1995 | $37.4B | $1,650 | $5,429 | 6.2% | 32.2% | 22.7M | 8.0% | 69.5 | 25.6% | ||
| 1994 | $30.1B | $1,323 | $4,995 | 3.9% | 136.8% | 22.7M | 8.2% | 69.5 | 24.9% | ||
| 1993 | $26.4B | $1,158 | $4,699 | 1.5% | 255.2% | 22.8M | 8.3% | 69.6 | 23.0% | ||
| 1992 | $25.1B | $1,102 | $4,515 | −8.8% | 211.2% | 22.8M | 8.3% | 69.8 | 27.8% | ||
| 1991 | $28.9B | $1,254 | $4,795 | −12.9% | 230.6% | 23M | 8.2% | 69.8 | 17.6% | ||
| 1990 | $38.2B | $1,648 | $5,280 | −5.6% | 127.9% | 23.2M | 69.7 | 16.7% | |||
| 1989 | $41.5B | $1,790 | −5.8% | 0.9% | 23.2M | 69.5 | |||||
| 1988 | $40.4B | $1,753 | −0.5% | 2.6% | 23.1M | 69.4 | |||||
| 1987 | $38.1B | $1,659 | 0.8% | 1.1% | 22.9M | 69.2 | |||||
| 1986 | 2.4% | 0.7% | 22.8M | 69.5 | |||||||
| 1985 | −0.1% | −0.2% | 22.7M | 69.7 | |||||||
| 1984 | 6.0% | −0.3% | 22.6M | 69.7 | |||||||
| 1983 | 6.0% | 4.7% | 22.6M | 69.7 | |||||||
| 1982 | 3.9% | 16.9% | 22.5M | 69.5 | |||||||
| 1981 | 0.1% | 2.2% | 22.4M | 69.4 | |||||||
| 1980 | 3.3% | 1.5% | 22.2M | 69.1 | |||||||
| 1979 | 22.1M | 69.2 | |||||||||
| 1978 | 22M | 69.5 | |||||||||
| 1977 | 21.8M | 69.7 | |||||||||
| 1976 | 21.6M | 69.7 | |||||||||
| 1975 | 21.3M | 69.6 | |||||||||
| 1974 | 21M | 69.5 | |||||||||
| 1973 | 20.8M | 69.0 | |||||||||
| 1972 | 20.7M | 68.5 | |||||||||
| 1971 | 20.5M | 68.5 | |||||||||
| 1970 | 20.3M | 67.5 | |||||||||
| 1969 | 20M | 66.7 | |||||||||
| 1968 | 19.8M | 67.6 | |||||||||
| 1967 | 19.5M | 67.5 | |||||||||
| 1966 | 19.2M | 68.9 | |||||||||
| 1965 | 19M | 67.7 | |||||||||
| 1964 | 18.9M | 67.8 | |||||||||
| 1963 | 18.8M | 67.1 | |||||||||
| 1962 | 18.7M | 65.3 | |||||||||
| 1961 | 18.6M | 65.9 | |||||||||
| 1960 | 18.4M | 65.9 |
e: IMF estimate; f: IMF forecast. Real growth: IMF data for 1980–1990, World Bank for the other years. Inflation: IMF data for 1980–1990, World Bank for the other years.
Nearby economies in Europe & Central Asia
Nearest by distance between capitals, with GDP per capita.
Albania · Andorra · Armenia · Austria · Azerbaijan · Belarus · Belgium · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Bulgaria · Channel Islands · Croatia · Cyprus · Czechia · Denmark · Estonia · Faroe Islands · Finland · France · Georgia · Germany · Gibraltar · Greece · Greenland · Hungary · Iceland · Ireland · Isle of Man · Italy · Kazakhstan · Kosovo · Kyrgyzstan · Latvia · Liechtenstein · Lithuania · Luxembourg · Moldova · Monaco · Montenegro · Netherlands · North Macedonia · Norway · Poland · Portugal · Romania · Russia · San Marino · Serbia · Slovakia · Slovenia · Spain · Sweden · Switzerland · Tajikistan · Turkmenistan · Türkiye · Ukraine · United Kingdom · Uzbekistan
Rankings
GDP by country · GDP per capita · Real GDP growth · Inflation by country · Government debt to GDP · Stock market to GDP · Population by country · Unemployment by country
Data and methods
- GDP: gross domestic product in current US dollars, converted from the local currency at market exchange rates (World Bank); not adjusted for inflation.
- Purchasing power parity (PPP): GDP per person in international dollars, which buy the same basket of goods and services in every country. It compares living standards across countries in the same year; it is not adjusted for inflation over time.
- In 2025 dollars: the charts can remove US inflation (US consumer price index, annual average) so that dollar amounts from different years compare in today's money. Exchange rate swings still show.
- Growth and inflation: World Bank data (calendar years). Years the World Bank does not cover yet, and the estimates and forecasts, come from the IMF World Economic Outlook (October 2026): its forecasts start in 2026, and the years after a country's last actual year are IMF estimates.
- Government debt: gross debt of the general government (central, state and local government and social security funds) as a percentage of GDP, IMF. The World Bank's central government debt is narrower and covers fewer countries.
- Stock market capitalization: the end-of-year value of domestic companies listed on the country's exchanges (World Federation of Exchanges via the World Bank; before 2016, Standard & Poor's), as a percentage of GDP: the “Buffett indicator”. Investment funds are excluded, and so are companies listed only abroad; companies from elsewhere that list on an exchange count for its country (Hong Kong lists many mainland Chinese companies).
- Unemployment: ILO modeled estimates (share of the labor force); comparable across countries, but they may differ from national figures.
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook (October 2026)