Bucharest residents lost over 7 days in traffic jams last year, according to the 2025 TomTom Traffic Index ranking. Specifically, they lost 171 hours in traffic due to peak-hour congestion.

The average travel speed was 18.5 km/h, and the average distance covered in 15 minutes was 4.6 km.

According to the statistics, the city has a congestion rate of 62.5%. The rate has increased by 0.3% compared to last year, showing that the measures taken by authorities have not improved the situation. 

Bucharest fares much worse in traffic compared to other European capitals. Brussels residents lost 146 hours in traffic during 2025, while those in Athens (143), Budapest (131), Vienna (118), Rome (115), Sofia (113), Warsaw (113), Paris (109), and Berlin (100) fared much better. 

In 2023, Bucharest was the world’s eighth most congested city, and the fourth in Europe. The Romanian capital was the 20th most congested city in 2025 (fifth in Europe), while the top spot was taken by Mexico City with a congestion rate of 75.9%. 

Bucharest and Ilfov County together form the region in Romania with the highest motorization rate, with an average of 640 cars per 1,000 inhabitants, a level close to most regions in France, Germany, Austria, and Italy, according to Eurostat data for 2022. Last year, interim Bucharest mayor Stelian Bujduveanu said there were about 1.7 million cars registered in the city.

radu@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Vlad Ispas | Dreamstime.com)