Romania’s construction activity surges by 17.6% y/y in April-May

The construction works volume in Romania surged by 17.6% y/y in April-May, setting the stage for a robust annual advance in the second quarter of the year after 7.7% y/y growth in Q1, according to data published by the statistics office INS.

The activity levels in each of the two months, April and May, adjusted for seasonality, were the highest ever – except for July 2025, when changes in regulations (higher VAT rate) resulted in contracts registered in advance, and December 2023 (seasonally, a large volume of contracts are registered in the last month of the year).

All three market segments boasted double-digit growth rates in April-May. The residential segment, +17.7% y/y, kept recovering after the slowdown in 2024 and returned close to the highest levels ever seen in late 2023. The non-residential segment posted slower annual growth (+12.5% y/y), but it is already close to the highest-ever levels reached in the second half of 2025.

While the residential segment operates at a level only some 10% above the 2021 benchmark level, the non-residential segment is 40% higher.

The civil engineering works segment (+20.1% y/y in April-May) has gained ground constantly over the past year and reached in the second quarter of 2026 a level some 80% above the 2021 average.

Notably, the works on new projects (as opposed to capital and current repairs) surged by 22.3% y/y in April May, when (adjusted for seasonality) it reached a level some 50% above the 2021 average. The capital repairs activity (only +6.5% y/y) is, however, some 140% above the 2021 average. The current repairs (+10.8% y/y) were about 20% above the 2021 average in April-May.

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