Romania's automotive industry contributed nearly half of the country's total exports last year. The sector directly employs over 238,000 people, with monthly salaries significantly above the national average. This data details the industry's production, investment, and market trends.
Key Takeaways
- Romania's automotive sector employed 238,000 people directly in 2023, a 4% increase from 2022
- In 2023, Romania exported automotive products worth €20.1 billion, 48% of total exports
- FDI in Romania's automotive sector totaled €1.2 billion in 2023, Renault investing €500 million
- In 2023, Romania's automotive industry produced 514,367 passenger cars, representing a 12.5% increase from 2022
- New car registrations in Romania reached 142,350 units in 2023, up 22% from 2022
Romania’s automotive sector is growing steadily, driven by rising production and steady job creation.
Related reading
01 · Category
Employment Statistics23 stats
01
Romania's automotive sector employed 238,000 people directly in 2023, a 4% increase from 2022
02
Ford Craiova plant had 2,800 direct employees and 1,200 indirect in 2023
03
Women represent 28% of the automotive workforce in Romania, higher than EU average of 22%
04
Average salary in Romania's automotive industry was €1,250 gross monthly in 2023, 45% above national average
05
Over 50,000 new jobs created in automotive since 2010, with 70% in manufacturing roles
06
Training programs reached 15,000 workers in 2023, focusing on EV assembly skills
07
Unemployment rate in automotive hubs like Mioveni was 1.2% in 2023
08
65% of automotive employees have vocational training from dual education system
09
Supplier network employs 120,000 in SMEs, supporting OEMs like Dacia and Ford
10
Automotive R&D staff numbered 12,500 in 2023, up 20% from 2020
11
Wiring harness production employed 80,000 workers, outputting 120 million units yearly
12
Youth under 30 make up 22% of automotive workforce, trained via 50 apprenticeships
13
Labor productivity grew 7.8% to €45,000 per worker in 2023
14
30,000 jobs in aftermarket services, growing 5% annually
15
Gender pay gap in sector at 12%, lower than national 18%
16
Overtime hours averaged 150 per worker yearly due to high demand
17
18 vocational schools partnered with OEMs, graduating 5,000 yearly
18
Automotive turnover per employee €120,000 in 2023
19
12% workforce skilled in Industry 4.0 tech by end 2023
20
Strikes affected 5,000 workers, resolved with 10% wage hike
21
Migrant workers 8% of total, mainly from Nepal/India
22
Upskilling programs cost €45 million, benefiting 20,000 staff
23
Turnover rate 4.2%, low due to competitive wages
Interpretation
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.
02 · Category
Export/Import Statistics22 stats
01
In 2023, Romania exported automotive products worth €20.1 billion, 48% of total exports
02
Passenger car exports to EU reached 420,000 units in 2023, France receiving 35%
03
Automotive imports totaled €15.3 billion in 2023, mainly components from Germany (28%)
04
Dacia vehicles exported to 45 countries in 2023, with Germany as top market at 120,000 units
05
Trade surplus in automotive sector was €4.8 billion in 2023
06
Engine exports from Romania hit €3.2 billion in 2023, up 18% YoY
07
92% of Ford Puma SUVs from Craiova were exported to Western Europe in 2023
08
Imports of electric vehicle batteries rose 250% to €450 million in 2023
09
Automotive parts exports grew to €11.6 billion in 2023, Italy second largest buyer at 12%
10
Exports to UK post-Brexit grew 10% to €1.2 billion in 2023
11
Chassis parts imports from Turkey €800 million in 2023
12
France imported 140,000 Dacia vehicles from Romania in 2023
13
Trade balance with Germany showed €2.1 billion surplus for Romania autos
14
Steel for autos imported 1.2 million tons, 70% from EU
15
Second-hand car imports from Germany totaled 95,000 units in 2023
16
Diesel engine imports dropped 20% to €1.1 billion amid green shift
17
Exports to USA via Ford reached 20,000 Puma SUVs in 2023
18
Plastics for autos exported €1.8 billion, Poland buyer 15%
19
Import duties on Chinese EVs protected local market, saving €200M
20
Spain imported 80,000 vehicles from Romania in 2023
21
Rubber parts imports €650 million, Asia source 40%
22
Logistics costs for exports 8% of value in 2023
Interpretation
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.
03 · Category
Investment and Development Statistics22 stats
01
FDI in Romania's automotive sector totaled €1.2 billion in 2023, Renault investing €500 million
02
Ford announced €200 million expansion for EV production in Craiova by 2024
03
Automotive R&D spending reached €850 million in 2023, 6.8% of sector turnover
04
150 new supplier factories opened since 2015, creating €5 billion investment
05
Green transition funding allocated €300 million for EV battery plants in 2023
06
Continental invested €150 million in Timișoara tech center for ADAS in 2023
07
Sector contribution to GDP was 4.5% or €12 billion in 2023
08
Digitalization projects funded €100 million, automating 40% of plants by 2023
09
PPF Group invested €400 million in electric minibus production plant
10
EU Just Transition Fund allocated €1.5 billion for automotive reshoring
11
Bosch expanded Sibiu plant with €100 million for e-axles
12
25 greenfield projects attracted €2.8 billion FDI since 2020
13
Robot density 450 per 10,000 workers, top in CEE region
14
Tax incentives drew €600 million in 2023 for supplier expansions
15
Innovation hubs in Cluj and Brasov funded €50 million for startups
16
Sector taxes contributed €3.2 billion to state budget in 2023
17
Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance invested €300M in software center
18
ZF Group €80M for transmission plant upgrade in 2023
19
Cluster initiatives attracted 50 new investors, €900M total
20
Sustainability investments €450M for carbon reduction 20%
21
Venture capital in auto tech €120M, 15 startups funded
22
Public-private partnerships €700M for infrastructure upgrades
Interpretation
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.
More related reading
04 · Category
Production Statistics21 stats
01
In 2023, Romania's automotive industry produced 514,367 passenger cars, representing a 12.5% increase from 2022
02
Ford Romania manufactured 177,492 vehicles at its Craiova plant in 2023, including the Puma SUV model which accounted for 85% of output
03
Dacia produced 336,875 vehicles in Romania in 2023, with the Sandero model leading at 45% of total production
04
Romania's total vehicle production reached 523,000 units in 2023, making it the 6th largest producer in the EU
05
In Q4 2023, automotive component production in Romania grew by 8.2%, with engine parts up 15%
06
Renault Group's Mioveni plant achieved 98.7% capacity utilization in 2023, producing over 1,000 vehicles daily
07
Romania exported 85% of its automotive production in 2023, totaling 445,000 units shipped abroad
08
In 2022, truck production in Romania was 2,350 units, a 5% decline due to supply chain issues
09
Automotive parts production value reached €12.5 billion in 2023, with 60% for export markets
10
Dacia's hybrid Sandero production started in 2023, with 25,000 units assembled by year-end
11
In 2023, bus production in Romania totaled 1,200 units, mainly for urban transport
12
Automotive cluster in Western Romania produced 60% of national parts output in 2023
13
Localization rate of parts reached 55% in 2023, up from 40% in 2018
14
Dacia Logan production hit 150,000 units in 2023
15
Romania ranked 23rd globally in vehicle production with 514,367 units in 2023
16
Over 1 million engines produced in Romania in 2023 across Ford and Renault plants
17
In 2023, Romania produced 8,500 tons of automotive wiring daily at peak
18
Magna Steyr plant in Oradea output 45,000 seats monthly in 2023
19
Total OEM production capacity 600,000 vehicles annually as of 2023
20
40% production increase in electric components to 2 million units
21
Lear Corporation produced 10 million harnesses in Arad 2023
Interpretation
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.
05 · Category
Sales and Market Statistics22 stats
01
New car registrations in Romania reached 142,350 units in 2023, up 22% from 2022
02
Dacia held 32.5% market share in Romania in 2023, with Sandero as bestseller at 25,000 units
03
Electric vehicle sales surged to 12,400 units in 2023, 8.7% of total market
04
Used car market volume was 450,000 transactions in 2023, average price €8,500
05
Commercial vehicle sales hit 28,500 units in 2023, vans up 15%
06
Average new car price in Romania was €22,400 in 2023, 10% higher than 2022
07
Online car sales platform transactions grew 35% to 120,000 in 2023
08
Hybrid vehicle registrations doubled to 15,200 units in 2023
09
Luxury car segment sales increased 18% to 4,200 units in 2023, BMW leading
10
Fleet sales accounted for 42% of total new car market in 2023
11
Market grew 24% to 143,000 new LCVs registered in 2023
12
Renault group sales 45,000 units, 31% share in domestic market 2023
13
PHEV sales 3,500 units, up 300% YoY in 2023
14
SUV segment dominated with 52% of sales, 74,000 units in 2023
15
Dealer network expanded to 450 outlets, sales per dealer €2.5M avg
16
Leasing penetration 55% of corporate sales in 2023
17
Motorcycle registrations 18,000 units, up 12%
18
Total turnover €28.5 billion in 2023, up 15%
19
Total new passenger car sales 130,000 units in 2023 excl LCVs
20
Chinese brands captured 5% market share with 7,000 sales
21
Diesel share fell to 25% from 40% in 2022
22
Exports financed 70% of sales revenue in 2023
Interpretation
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.
Reference
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APA
Marie Larsen. (2026, February 13). Romania Automotive Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/romania-automotive-industry-statistics
MLA
Marie Larsen. "Romania Automotive Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/romania-automotive-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Marie Larsen. 2026. "Romania Automotive Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/romania-automotive-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
66 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level