Romania leads CEE in FDI projects despite drop in capital inflows: EY survey
BUCHAREST, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Romania saw a 57 percent surge in foreign direct investment (FDI) projects in 2024, the strongest growth in Central and Eastern Europe(CEE), according to consulting firm EY.
This comes despite a 14 percent decline in total FDI inflows, which fell to 5.7 billion euros (6.5 billion U.S. dollars) from 6.6 billion euros (7.5 billion dollars) in 2023, EY said in its Attractiveness Survey Romania 2025 released on Wednesday.
Bogdan Ion, country managing partner at EY Romania and Moldova, said that the increase in project numbers reflects a shift toward more capital-intensive, high-value investments. To sustain this trend, he emphasized the importance of strengthening Romania's digital capabilities and infrastructure.
This propelled Romania up four places to 13th in Europe's FDI attractiveness ranking, ahead of Hungary and Serbia.
The increase in projects contrasts with a 31 percent drop in job creation, indicating a shift toward capital-intensive, automated investments.
Although 58 percent of surveyed executives expect Romania's attractiveness to grow, that's down from 67 percent last year. Key concerns include macroeconomic risks, geopolitical tensions, and rising costs.
Romania's appeal is driven by market access, cost competitiveness, tax incentives, and European Union-backed funding, but EY warns that long-term growth depends on improving infrastructure, workforce readiness, and innovation capacity.
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