From powering Europe's roads to fueling its own economic engine, Romania's automotive industry roared to a record €28.5 billion in turnover last year, cementing its role as the EU's sixth-largest vehicle producer with over half a million cars rolling off its assembly lines.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, Romania's automotive industry produced 514,367 passenger cars, representing a 12.5% increase from 2022
- Ford Romania manufactured 177,492 vehicles at its Craiova plant in 2023, including the Puma SUV model which accounted for 85% of output
- Dacia produced 336,875 vehicles in Romania in 2023, with the Sandero model leading at 45% of total production
- Romania's automotive sector employed 238,000 people directly in 2023, a 4% increase from 2022
- Ford Craiova plant had 2,800 direct employees and 1,200 indirect in 2023
- Women represent 28% of the automotive workforce in Romania, higher than EU average of 22%
- In 2023, Romania exported automotive products worth €20.1 billion, 48% of total exports
- Passenger car exports to EU reached 420,000 units in 2023, France receiving 35%
- Automotive imports totaled €15.3 billion in 2023, mainly components from Germany (28%)
- New car registrations in Romania reached 142,350 units in 2023, up 22% from 2022
- Dacia held 32.5% market share in Romania in 2023, with Sandero as bestseller at 25,000 units
- Electric vehicle sales surged to 12,400 units in 2023, 8.7% of total market
- FDI in Romania's automotive sector totaled €1.2 billion in 2023, Renault investing €500 million
- Ford announced €200 million expansion for EV production in Craiova by 2024
- Automotive R&D spending reached €850 million in 2023, 6.8% of sector turnover
Romania's automotive industry grew significantly in 2023, ranking as the EU's sixth largest vehicle producer.
Employment Statistics
- Romania's automotive sector employed 238,000 people directly in 2023, a 4% increase from 2022
- Ford Craiova plant had 2,800 direct employees and 1,200 indirect in 2023
- Women represent 28% of the automotive workforce in Romania, higher than EU average of 22%
- Average salary in Romania's automotive industry was €1,250 gross monthly in 2023, 45% above national average
- Over 50,000 new jobs created in automotive since 2010, with 70% in manufacturing roles
- Training programs reached 15,000 workers in 2023, focusing on EV assembly skills
- Unemployment rate in automotive hubs like Mioveni was 1.2% in 2023
- 65% of automotive employees have vocational training from dual education system
- Supplier network employs 120,000 in SMEs, supporting OEMs like Dacia and Ford
- Automotive R&D staff numbered 12,500 in 2023, up 20% from 2020
- Wiring harness production employed 80,000 workers, outputting 120 million units yearly
- Youth under 30 make up 22% of automotive workforce, trained via 50 apprenticeships
- Labor productivity grew 7.8% to €45,000 per worker in 2023
- 30,000 jobs in aftermarket services, growing 5% annually
- Gender pay gap in sector at 12%, lower than national 18%
- Overtime hours averaged 150 per worker yearly due to high demand
- 18 vocational schools partnered with OEMs, graduating 5,000 yearly
- Automotive turnover per employee €120,000 in 2023
- 12% workforce skilled in Industry 4.0 tech by end 2023
- Strikes affected 5,000 workers, resolved with 10% wage hike
- Migrant workers 8% of total, mainly from Nepal/India
- Upskilling programs cost €45 million, benefiting 20,000 staff
- Turnover rate 4.2%, low due to competitive wages
Employment Statistics Interpretation
Romania's automotive engine is revving with impressive horsepower, creating thousands of well-paid jobs, cleverly narrowing its gender and pay gaps, and turbocharging its skills base, all while facing the high-octane pressures of demand that keep workers on the clock and the industry in the fast lane.
Export/Import Statistics
- In 2023, Romania exported automotive products worth €20.1 billion, 48% of total exports
- Passenger car exports to EU reached 420,000 units in 2023, France receiving 35%
- Automotive imports totaled €15.3 billion in 2023, mainly components from Germany (28%)
- Dacia vehicles exported to 45 countries in 2023, with Germany as top market at 120,000 units
- Trade surplus in automotive sector was €4.8 billion in 2023
- Engine exports from Romania hit €3.2 billion in 2023, up 18% YoY
- 92% of Ford Puma SUVs from Craiova were exported to Western Europe in 2023
- Imports of electric vehicle batteries rose 250% to €450 million in 2023
- Automotive parts exports grew to €11.6 billion in 2023, Italy second largest buyer at 12%
- Exports to UK post-Brexit grew 10% to €1.2 billion in 2023
- Chassis parts imports from Turkey €800 million in 2023
- France imported 140,000 Dacia vehicles from Romania in 2023
- Trade balance with Germany showed €2.1 billion surplus for Romania autos
- Steel for autos imported 1.2 million tons, 70% from EU
- Second-hand car imports from Germany totaled 95,000 units in 2023
- Diesel engine imports dropped 20% to €1.1 billion amid green shift
- Exports to USA via Ford reached 20,000 Puma SUVs in 2023
- Plastics for autos exported €1.8 billion, Poland buyer 15%
- Import duties on Chinese EVs protected local market, saving €200M
- Spain imported 80,000 vehicles from Romania in 2023
- Rubber parts imports €650 million, Asia source 40%
- Logistics costs for exports 8% of value in 2023
Export/Import Statistics Interpretation
Romania's automotive industry is basically running Europe's roads, cleverly assembling a massive trade surplus by importing German precision parts and Turkish skeletons to then export finished Dacia cars and Ford SUVs back to them, all while nervously eyeing a battery-powered future.
Investment and Development Statistics
- FDI in Romania's automotive sector totaled €1.2 billion in 2023, Renault investing €500 million
- Ford announced €200 million expansion for EV production in Craiova by 2024
- Automotive R&D spending reached €850 million in 2023, 6.8% of sector turnover
- 150 new supplier factories opened since 2015, creating €5 billion investment
- Green transition funding allocated €300 million for EV battery plants in 2023
- Continental invested €150 million in Timișoara tech center for ADAS in 2023
- Sector contribution to GDP was 4.5% or €12 billion in 2023
- Digitalization projects funded €100 million, automating 40% of plants by 2023
- PPF Group invested €400 million in electric minibus production plant
- EU Just Transition Fund allocated €1.5 billion for automotive reshoring
- Bosch expanded Sibiu plant with €100 million for e-axles
- 25 greenfield projects attracted €2.8 billion FDI since 2020
- Robot density 450 per 10,000 workers, top in CEE region
- Tax incentives drew €600 million in 2023 for supplier expansions
- Innovation hubs in Cluj and Brasov funded €50 million for startups
- Sector taxes contributed €3.2 billion to state budget in 2023
- Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance invested €300M in software center
- ZF Group €80M for transmission plant upgrade in 2023
- Cluster initiatives attracted 50 new investors, €900M total
- Sustainability investments €450M for carbon reduction 20%
- Venture capital in auto tech €120M, 15 startups funded
- Public-private partnerships €700M for infrastructure upgrades
Investment and Development Statistics Interpretation
Romania's automotive industry is shifting gears from an assembly line to an innovation hub, cleverly using every euro of investment, tax incentive, and robot to weld its future from software startups to electric axles.
Production Statistics
- In 2023, Romania's automotive industry produced 514,367 passenger cars, representing a 12.5% increase from 2022
- Ford Romania manufactured 177,492 vehicles at its Craiova plant in 2023, including the Puma SUV model which accounted for 85% of output
- Dacia produced 336,875 vehicles in Romania in 2023, with the Sandero model leading at 45% of total production
- Romania's total vehicle production reached 523,000 units in 2023, making it the 6th largest producer in the EU
- In Q4 2023, automotive component production in Romania grew by 8.2%, with engine parts up 15%
- Renault Group's Mioveni plant achieved 98.7% capacity utilization in 2023, producing over 1,000 vehicles daily
- Romania exported 85% of its automotive production in 2023, totaling 445,000 units shipped abroad
- In 2022, truck production in Romania was 2,350 units, a 5% decline due to supply chain issues
- Automotive parts production value reached €12.5 billion in 2023, with 60% for export markets
- Dacia's hybrid Sandero production started in 2023, with 25,000 units assembled by year-end
- In 2023, bus production in Romania totaled 1,200 units, mainly for urban transport
- Automotive cluster in Western Romania produced 60% of national parts output in 2023
- Localization rate of parts reached 55% in 2023, up from 40% in 2018
- Dacia Logan production hit 150,000 units in 2023
- Romania ranked 23rd globally in vehicle production with 514,367 units in 2023
- Over 1 million engines produced in Romania in 2023 across Ford and Renault plants
- In 2023, Romania produced 8,500 tons of automotive wiring daily at peak
- Magna Steyr plant in Oradea output 45,000 seats monthly in 2023
- Total OEM production capacity 600,000 vehicles annually as of 2023
- 40% production increase in electric components to 2 million units
- Lear Corporation produced 10 million harnesses in Arad 2023
Production Statistics Interpretation
Romania’s automotive industry has quietly shifted from assembling cars to building an export powerhouse, where Dacia and Ford drive the numbers but a web of local parts suppliers now stitches together more than half of every vehicle.
Sales and Market Statistics
- New car registrations in Romania reached 142,350 units in 2023, up 22% from 2022
- Dacia held 32.5% market share in Romania in 2023, with Sandero as bestseller at 25,000 units
- Electric vehicle sales surged to 12,400 units in 2023, 8.7% of total market
- Used car market volume was 450,000 transactions in 2023, average price €8,500
- Commercial vehicle sales hit 28,500 units in 2023, vans up 15%
- Average new car price in Romania was €22,400 in 2023, 10% higher than 2022
- Online car sales platform transactions grew 35% to 120,000 in 2023
- Hybrid vehicle registrations doubled to 15,200 units in 2023
- Luxury car segment sales increased 18% to 4,200 units in 2023, BMW leading
- Fleet sales accounted for 42% of total new car market in 2023
- Market grew 24% to 143,000 new LCVs registered in 2023
- Renault group sales 45,000 units, 31% share in domestic market 2023
- PHEV sales 3,500 units, up 300% YoY in 2023
- SUV segment dominated with 52% of sales, 74,000 units in 2023
- Dealer network expanded to 450 outlets, sales per dealer €2.5M avg
- Leasing penetration 55% of corporate sales in 2023
- Motorcycle registrations 18,000 units, up 12%
- Total turnover €28.5 billion in 2023, up 15%
- Total new passenger car sales 130,000 units in 2023 excl LCVs
- Chinese brands captured 5% market share with 7,000 sales
- Diesel share fell to 25% from 40% in 2022
- Exports financed 70% of sales revenue in 2023
Sales and Market Statistics Interpretation
Despite Dacia's unshakeable reign over the Romanian auto market, the industry is clearly navigating a fascinating crossroads where the thirst for new SUVs and electric vehicles is accelerating alongside a booming second-hand market and a corporate preference for leasing, all while the overall cost of driving new keeps climbing.
Sources & References
- Reference 1OICAoica.netVisit source
- Reference 2MEDIAmedia.ford.comVisit source
- Reference 3RENAULTGROUPrenaultgroup.comVisit source
- Reference 4ACEAacea.autoVisit source
- Reference 5INSSEinsse.roVisit source
- Reference 6ACAROMacarom.roVisit source
- Reference 7STATISTAstatista.comVisit source
- Reference 8AUTONEWSautonews.comVisit source
- Reference 9GOVgov.roVisit source
- Reference 10WORLDBANKworldbank.orgVisit source
- Reference 11EUROPARLeuroparl.europa.euVisit source
- Reference 12ECec.europa.euVisit source
- Reference 13BNRbnr.roVisit source
- Reference 14OECoec.worldVisit source
- Reference 15WITSwits.worldbank.orgVisit source
- Reference 16EV-VOLUMESev-volumes.comVisit source
- Reference 17AUTOVITautovit.roVisit source
- Reference 18OLXolx.roVisit source
- Reference 19ASALasal.roVisit source
- Reference 20PROMOTORpromotor.roVisit source
- Reference 21FLOTEAUTOfloteauto.roVisit source
- Reference 22CONTINENTALcontinental.comVisit source
- Reference 23DIGITALdigital.gov.roVisit source
- Reference 24CLUSTERCOLLABORATIONclustercollaboration.euVisit source
- Reference 25EDUedu.roVisit source
- Reference 26EUROFOUNDeurofound.europa.euVisit source
- Reference 27MECImeci.gov.roVisit source
- Reference 28UKTRADEINFOuktradeinfo.comVisit source
- Reference 29COMTRADEcomtrade.un.orgVisit source
- Reference 30CCFAccfa.frVisit source
- Reference 31DESTATISdestatis.deVisit source
- Reference 32EUROFEReurofer.euVisit source
- Reference 33KBAkba.deVisit source
- Reference 34RENAULTrenault.roVisit source
- Reference 35JATOjato.comVisit source
- Reference 36AUTOMARKETautomarket.roVisit source
- Reference 37APARapar.roVisit source
- Reference 38ARVALarval.roVisit source
- Reference 39DRPCIVdrpciv.roVisit source
- Reference 40PPFppf.euVisit source
- Reference 41COMMISSIONcommission.europa.euVisit source
- Reference 42BOSCHbosch.roVisit source
- Reference 43INVESTROMANIAinvestromania.gov.roVisit source
- Reference 44IFRifr.orgVisit source
- Reference 45ANAFanaf.roVisit source
- Reference 46UPIROMANIAupiromania.roVisit source
- Reference 47MFINANTEmfinante.gov.roVisit source
- Reference 48YAZAKIyazaki.roVisit source
- Reference 49MAGNAmagna.comVisit source
- Reference 50AUTOMOTIVE-TODAYautomotive-today.roVisit source
- Reference 51LEARlear.comVisit source
- Reference 52DELOITTEdeloitte.comVisit source
- Reference 53SOLIDARITATEAsolidaritatea.roVisit source
- Reference 54FONDURI-UEfonduri-ue.roVisit source
- Reference 55RANDSTADrandstad.roVisit source
- Reference 56NHTSAnhtsa.govVisit source
- Reference 57COMERTcomert.gov.roVisit source
- Reference 58ANFACanfac.comVisit source
- Reference 59PORTOFCONSTANTAportofconstanta.roVisit source
- Reference 60AUTOEXPERTautoexpert.roVisit source
- Reference 61BCRbcr.roVisit source
- Reference 62ZFzf.comVisit source
- Reference 63EUROPARTNERSeuropartners.roVisit source
- Reference 64CSR-ROMANIAcsr-romania.roVisit source
- Reference 65HIPOhipo.roVisit source
- Reference 66MTmt.roVisit source