Romania ranked as the 25th most complex economy in the world (of 133 measured) in 2018, up 13 places compared to 2005, according to this year's edition of the Atlas of Economic Complexity compiled by Harvard University.

The index mainly measures the sophistication of the products and services that countries export.

Japan is the leader of the ranking. In the CEE region, Austria (6th position), the Czech Republic (7th position), Hungary (9th), and Slovakia (10th) are among the ten most complex economies in the world.

These countries are positioned above more developed economies such as France or Italy, countries that have relocated much of what they produced to Eastern Europe.

"Romania is a country with a more complex economy than its indicators would point to at first glance, which is why its GDP should grow by an average of 3% per year by 2028," said the study's authors.

Given its current exports, some of the sectors with high potential for new diversification in Romania are Industrial Machinery and Glass and glassware, according to the authors' model.

(Photo: Dioni Teixeira/ Dreamstime)

iulian@romania-insider.com