Foreign investors in Romania moderately optimistic but cautious

A still significant share of the foreign investors in Romania surveyed by the Foreign Investors Council (FIC), namely 40%, expect their markets to expand, while 47% expect stagnation, leaving a small share of investors undecided or pessimistic. The expectations for external demand are below average, with only 29% of those surveyed expecting higher exports and 62% expecting stagnation.

The share of foreign investors planning to increase their exposure to Romania was reported at 25%, 10 percentage points lower compared to the latest edition of the bi-annual survey carried out by FIC, and the lowest value seen in the past decade.

Only 46% of respondents expect revenue growth from operations in Romania in 2026, down from 55% in the previous edition. While this development indicates a downward trend, it still reflects a relatively positive outlook on the potential of the Romanian market, especially compared to more reserved expectations in other regional markets, according to FIC.

Investors’ sentiment about the general business environment in Romania remains gloomy, but it has improved slightly compared to the previous edition.

Some 68% of respondents believe that the business environment has deteriorated, a slight improvement of 4 percentage points compared to the spring edition.

Some 69% of FIC members consider the legislative environment less predictable. However, 9% now consider it more predictable – a modest but positive change compared to the last four editions.

Romania is perceived as uncompetitive in several areas: bureaucracy (78%), regulatory burden (78%), transparency and consistency of policy implementation (73%), fiscal burden (58%), and infrastructure (53%). The availability of an adequate workforce is the only area considered competitive (64%).

(Photo source: Natanael Alfredo/Dreamstime.com)