Romanian households had the lowest debt-to-GDP ratio in the European Union at the end of 2025, with consolidated household debt amounting to 12.3% of GDP, according to Eurostat data cited by B1tv.ro. The indicator, which also includes debt held by non-profit institutions serving households, declined from 12.5% of GDP in 2024 to 12.3% in 2025.

Romania ranked well below the next least-indebted countries in the bloc, with household debt standing at 18.3% of GDP in Hungary and 19.8% in Latvia. The EU average was 49.4% of GDP, meaning Romania's household indebtedness was around one-quarter of the bloc's average.

At the opposite end of the ranking, the Netherlands recorded the highest household debt ratio in the EU at 93.5% of GDP, more than 7.5 times the Romanian level.

The figures also show that Romania's household indebtedness remains significantly below its historical peak of 22.2% of GDP recorded in 2010.

The Eurostat data challenge the perception that households in southern European countries carry the highest debt burdens. Instead, the highest household indebtedness levels are concentrated in the more affluent economies of northern and western Europe, while Romania continues to record the lowest ratio in the EU.

iulian@romania-insider.com

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