PwC: Romania ranked among most attractive markets in the region for international investors
Romania has climbed in the ranking of investment destinations in Europe, being, alongside Poland, one of the most attractive markets in the region for international investors, according to data from the PwC Global CEO Survey 2026.
Compared with the previous edition, Romania moved from 13th to 9th place on the continent and from 33rd to 28th globally, while 51% of company leaders worldwide say they plan international expansion this year.
Between 2014 and 2024, the cumulative stock of foreign direct investment in Romania doubled from EUR 62 billion to EUR 125 billion. Moreover, after a contraction in FDI flows in 2023, 2024, and the first part of 2025, there was a strong rebound in capital inflows in the second half of last year.
The investors choosing Romania are predominantly European: Poland, Turkey, Germany, Greece, Austria, Italy, and Ukraine.
“If five years ago, Polish companies were mainly oriented toward Germany, the United Kingdom, or the Netherlands, they now prefer investments in Central Europe, and Romania is one of the top destinations. Companies such as Żabka, Maspex, Polenergia, or Elemental Holdings have already found their place in the Romanian market,” the analysis mentioned.
At the same time, only 10% of company leaders who mentioned Romania are from outside Europe, which shows that geographical proximity and European integration matter enormously, but also that Romania still has a way to go to become visible to investors from Asia, the Middle East, or North America.
The fields targeted by investors were manufacturing, engineering and construction, retail, business services, banking and capital markets, transport and logistics. On the other hand, the technology sector was not a priority for investors looking at Romania, despite a solid employee base.
The CEO Survey data further showed that companies in Romania are also becoming more active in investing abroad. Half of the CEOs in Romania surveyed in the CEO Survey plan international investments in the next 12 months. Their preferred destinations are Germany, Poland, the United States, France, the Czech Republic, and Moldova.
However, problems remain within the country. “Romania is perceived as uncompetitive for several reasons: bureaucracy, regulatory burden, lack of transparency and consistency in policy implementation, tax burden, and infrastructure. The only area considered competitive is the availability of a suitable workforce. The fiscal packages adopted last year increased operational costs, reduced profitability and demand, forcing companies to prioritize liquidity and postpone long-term growth projects,” the PwC analysis noted.
PwC specialists argued that Romania has considerable growth potential, but that this hinges on investments. “What is needed to restore confidence? Predictability, transparency, and open dialogue with the business environment are mandatory requirements for a friendly investment climate. The repositioning of global business is taking place along geostrategic lines, and Romania is advantageously positioned to benefit from these trends,” the same source added.
To encourage investors, Romania has a series of medium-term objectives: accession to the OECD, the completion of the implementation of PNRR, and benefiting from new opportunities such as Neptun Deep, the SAFE programme, and investments in defense, as well as absorption of EU funds.
The analysis also mentioned that the tension between the country’s investment potential and structural vulnerabilities is also reflected by the recent confirmation by S&P Global Ratings of Romania’s sovereign rating at investment grade (“BBB-”), which recognizes progress in fiscal consolidation in the first quarter of 2026, but also warns about political risks.
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