From a surging pipeline of permits to multi-billion-euro infrastructure megaprojects, Romania's construction industry is not just building structures—it's dynamically reshaping the nation's economy and skyline.
Key Takeaways
- Romania's construction industry turnover reached 142.3 billion RON in 2022, reflecting a 6.2% year-on-year growth driven by residential and infrastructure projects
- The construction sector contributed 6.8% to Romania's GDP in 2023, up from 6.4% in 2022, fueled by EU-funded infrastructure developments
- Building permits issued for new dwellings in Romania surged by 15.7% in 2023, totaling 72,450 units
- Romania's construction employment reached 512,000 persons in 2023, a 2.8% increase from 2022
- Average gross wage in construction sector was 7,850 RON/month in Q4 2023, up 14.5% YoY
- Construction unemployment rate stood at 1.2% in 2023, below national average of 5.6%
- Bechtel Nădlac-Sibiu highway project employed peak 5,200 workers in 2023
- Turda-Sebeș motorway section opened 30km in 2023, cost 1.2 billion RON
- Bucharest Metro Line M6 (Pantelimon-Progresul) under construction, 80% complete, budget 2.5 billion EUR
- Steel consumption in Romanian construction was 4.2 million tons in 2023, up 7.5% YoY
- Cement production reached 12.5 million tons in Romania 2023, 92% domestic use
- Asphalt production for roads: 8.7 million tons in 2023, cost avg 450 RON/ton
- FDI in Romania's construction sector totaled 1.8 billion EUR in 2023
- EU funds absorption for infrastructure: 4.2 billion EUR via PNRR in 2023
- Private equity investments in real estate dev 2.1 billion EUR 2023
Romania's construction industry continues strong growth driven by residential and infrastructure projects.
Building Materials and Costs
- Steel consumption in Romanian construction was 4.2 million tons in 2023, up 7.5% YoY
- Cement production reached 12.5 million tons in Romania 2023, 92% domestic use
- Asphalt production for roads: 8.7 million tons in 2023, cost avg 450 RON/ton
- Timber imports for construction: 2.8 million cubic meters, value 1.1 billion EUR 2023
- Concrete ready-mix output: 28 million cubic meters in 2023, price 420 RON/m3 avg
- Construction cost index rose 8.9% YoY in Q4 2023
- Brick production: 1.2 billion units in 2023, mainly for residential
- Glass for construction: 450,000 tons consumed 2023, import dependent 65%
- PVC windows market value 850 million EUR in 2023, growth 6.2%
- Insulation materials sales up 12% to 1.5 million tons EPS/XPS 2023
- Average residential build cost 2,800 RON/sqm in 2023
- Commercial build cost avg 3,200 RON/sqm Q3 2023
- Road construction cost per km: 15 million RON for highways 2023
- Copper wiring for buildings: 120,000 tons used 2023, price 45,000 RON/ton
- Paint and coatings market: 250 million EUR sales 2023
- Aluminum profiles consumption 180,000 tons 2023
- Gypsum board sales 4.5 million sqm 2023, growth 9%
- Roofing materials: 15 million sqm installed 2023, avg cost 120 RON/sqm
- Aggregates production 95 million tons 2023, 70% for construction
- Sanitary ware imports 1.2 million units, value 180 million EUR 2023
- HVAC equipment market 650 million EUR 2023
- Elevator installations: 1,800 units new in 2023, cost 80,000 EUR avg
- Solar panel installations for buildings: 1.2 GW capacity 2023, cost down 15%
- Construction inflation forecast 6.5% for 2024
- Regional cost variation: Bucharest 20% higher than national avg 2023
- BIM software adoption reduced material waste by 12% avg in large projects 2023
- Recycled materials use in construction 8% of total volume 2023
Building Materials and Costs Interpretation
Romanian construction is feverishly building a modern country with imported ambition and domestic grit, though its wallet is aching from the effort, as seen in everything from a hearty appetite for steel and cement to expensive highway kilometers and a growing thirst for everything from PVC windows to solar panels—all while inflation keeps tapping its foot impatiently.
Employment and Workforce
- Romania's construction employment reached 512,000 persons in 2023, a 2.8% increase from 2022
- Average gross wage in construction sector was 7,850 RON/month in Q4 2023, up 14.5% YoY
- Construction unemployment rate stood at 1.2% in 2023, below national average of 5.6%
- 65% of construction workforce in Romania were skilled laborers in 2022
- Female employment in construction increased to 12.3% of total in 2023
- Youth employment (15-24) in construction was 8.5% of sector workforce in 2023
- Labor shortages affected 72% of construction firms in Romania in 2023 survey
- Average working hours in construction were 198 hours/month in 2022
- Vocational training programs graduated 15,200 construction workers in 2023
- Migrant workers comprised 4.7% of construction labor force in 2023, mainly from Nepal and Philippines
- Construction firms reported 28% staff turnover rate in 2023
- Productivity per construction worker rose 6.1% to 152,000 RON in 2023
- 45% of construction workers had higher education or vocational certs in 2022
- Overtime hours in construction averaged 12 hours/month per worker in 2023
- Union membership in construction sector was 18% in 2023
- Age distribution: 35% of workforce under 35 years in construction 2023
- Health & safety incidents in construction: 1,250 cases reported in 2023, rate 2.4 per 1,000 workers
- Remote work adoption in construction offices reached 22% in 2023
- Wage growth in construction outpaced inflation by 4.2% in 2023
- Self-employed in construction numbered 95,000 in 2023, 18% of total employment
- Labor cost index in construction rose 13.8% YoY in Q3 2023
- Construction apprenticeships: 8,500 enrolled in 2023
- Regional employment: Bucharest-Ilfov 28% of total construction jobs in 2023
- Digital skills gap: 41% of firms training workers for BIM in 2023
- Part-time employment in construction: 3.2% of workforce in 2023
- Construction sector added 14,200 net new jobs in 2023
Employment and Workforce Interpretation
Even with wages rising faster than bricks, Romania's construction boom is hitting a precarious wall of its own making: while it’s building jobs and training newcomers, a chronic 72% labor shortage and a high-turnover workforce reveal an industry trying to construct a future on an unstable foundation.
Investments and FDI
- FDI in Romania's construction sector totaled 1.8 billion EUR in 2023
- EU funds absorption for infrastructure: 4.2 billion EUR via PNRR in 2023
- Private equity investments in real estate dev 2.1 billion EUR 2023
- Chinese FDI in energy infra projects 850 million USD 2023
- Greek investors committed 500 million EUR to residential projects 2023
- Turkish contractors won 1.5 billion RON public tenders 2023
- Venture capital in proptech startups 120 million EUR 2023
- PPP projects pipeline 10 billion EUR, 5 new concessions signed 2023
- REITs market cap reached 1.2 billion EUR in construction-related assets 2023
- US firms invested 300 million USD in industrial parks 2023
- Green bonds issued for sustainable construction 450 million EUR 2023
- Crowdfunding platforms raised 50 million EUR for dev projects 2023
- Bank loans for construction grew 15% to 25 billion RON 2023
- Sovereign wealth fund allocation to infra 2 billion EUR plan 2024
- Austrian investments in office spaces 700 million EUR 2023
- Italian FDI in renewables infra 400 million EUR 2023
- Domestic pension funds invested 3.5 billion RON in real estate 2023
- ESG-focused FDI up 25% to 900 million EUR in construction 2023
- Airport concessions: Vienna Airport invested 200 million EUR in Cluj 2023
- Logistics parks FDI from Cyprus firms 600 million EUR 2023
- Hotel investments by Emirati funds 350 million EUR pipeline 2023
- Digital infrastructure FDI for data centers 1.1 billion EUR 2023
- Road concessions under Concesionara: 2.5 billion EUR FDI 2023
- Social housing investments gov-private 800 million RON 2023
- Offshore wind farm MoUs signed 3GW potential, 10 billion EUR est. 2023
Investments and FDI Interpretation
Despite the hefty EU buffet, Romania's construction sector prefers an international potluck, drawing billions from global investors while proving it’s no longer just a local fixer-upper.
Major Projects and Infrastructure
- Bechtel Nădlac-Sibiu highway project employed peak 5,200 workers in 2023
- Turda-Sebeș motorway section opened 30km in 2023, cost 1.2 billion RON
- Bucharest Metro Line M6 (Pantelimon-Progresul) under construction, 80% complete, budget 2.5 billion EUR
- Fântânele-Câmpia Turzii airport modernization cost 150 million EUR, completed 2023
- Cernavodă-Cașandra bridge project, 22km highway, investment 1.8 billion RON, ongoing 2024
- South Agigea port expansion added 2 million tonnes capacity, cost 200 million EUR 2023
- Piața Unirii urban regeneration in Bucharest, 50,000 sqm, 300 million RON
- Clăbucet tunnel on A3 motorway, 2.3km, completed 2023 at 450 million RON
- Constanța 2020+ waterfront redevelopment, 1.5 billion RON investment
- Vidraru Dam rehabilitation, 100 million EUR, structural upgrades 2023
- Bucharest City Gate office tower, 100,000 sqm, completed 2023
- AFI City residential complex, 1,200 units, 250 million EUR, ongoing
- Therme București spa resort expansion, added 20,000 sqm, 150 million EUR 2023
- Pitești Ring road, 30km, EU-funded 800 million RON, 90% complete 2023
- Danube-Black Sea Canal rehabilitation, 64km, 1 billion EUR plan 2023-2030
- Cluj-Napoca regional hospital, 600 beds, 400 million EUR, groundbreaking 2023
- Otopeni Airport Terminal 2 expansion, capacity to 20 million passengers, 1 billion EUR
- Brașov Airport runway completed, 3km, 250 million RON 2023
- A7 Ploiești-Buzău highway section 20km opened 2023, 700 million RON
- Floreasca City Center mall, 40,000 sqm retail, 200 million EUR
- Renovation of 500 schools under PNRR, 2 billion EUR allocated 2023
- 1,200km high-speed rail planned by 2030, initial 150km tenders 2023
- Green energy parks: 500MW solar added 2023, 1.2 billion EUR
- Sibiu urban mobility hub, tram lines 15km, 300 million EUR
- Constanța aqueduct rehabilitation, 100km pipes, 150 million RON 2023
- Iași-Timișoara highway via A0, feasibility 2023, 5 billion EUR est.
Major Projects and Infrastructure Interpretation
Romania is clearly taking the “go big or go home” approach to infrastructure, throwing billions at everything from highways and hospitals to ports and spas, proving the nation is building for the future while also making sure its citizens can get a proper massage along the way.
Market Size and Growth
- Romania's construction industry turnover reached 142.3 billion RON in 2022, reflecting a 6.2% year-on-year growth driven by residential and infrastructure projects
- The construction sector contributed 6.8% to Romania's GDP in 2023, up from 6.4% in 2022, fueled by EU-funded infrastructure developments
- Building permits issued for new dwellings in Romania surged by 15.7% in 2023, totaling 72,450 units
- Romania's construction production index rose by 4.1% in Q4 2023 compared to Q4 2022, with civil engineering leading at 7.3% growth
- The total value of construction put in place in Romania was 128.7 billion RON in 2021, with a real growth rate of 5.9%
- Residential construction accounted for 42% of total construction output in Romania in 2022, valued at 59.8 billion RON
- Non-residential construction grew by 8.2% in 2023, reaching 38.4 billion RON, driven by commercial developments
- Civil engineering works in Romania increased by 12.4% in 2022 to 44.1 billion RON
- Forecasted CAGR for Romania's construction market is 4.5% from 2024-2028, reaching USD 38.2 billion by 2028
- Construction investment as percentage of GDP in Romania was 7.1% in 2022
- The number of construction enterprises in Romania grew to 78,500 in 2023, a 3.2% increase
- Average construction contract value in Romania rose to 2.1 million RON in 2023
- Construction sector's nominal growth rate was 10.5% in 2023, adjusted for inflation at 4.8%
- Romania's construction exports reached 1.2 billion EUR in 2022, mainly services to EU countries
- Public procurement in construction totaled 25.6 billion RON in 2023
- Private investment in construction increased by 9.3% to 92.4 billion RON in 2022
- Construction deflation rate in Romania was -0.2% in 2023
- Total floor area authorized for construction was 45.2 million sqm in 2023
- Romania ranked 12th in EU for construction growth rate at 5.6% in 2022
- Construction value added grew by 7.8% in real terms in 2021
- Energy infrastructure construction output rose 11.2% in 2023 to 12.5 billion RON
- The construction PMI in Romania averaged 52.3 points in 2023, indicating expansion
- Total construction workforce productivity increased to 145,000 RON per employee in 2022
- Romania's construction market size was USD 32.1 billion in 2023
- Highway construction segment grew by 18.7% in 2023
- Retail space under construction reached 450,000 sqm in 2023
- Office construction completions totaled 180,000 sqm in Bucharest in 2023
- Industrial & logistics space deliveries hit 550,000 sqm in 2023
- Hotel construction projects valued at 1.8 billion EUR underway in 2023
- Data center construction investments reached 2.5 billion EUR in 2023
Market Size and Growth Interpretation
Romania is busily building its future brick by brick, with its construction industry not only hammering out more homes and highways but also steadily cementing its place as a larger pillar of the national economy.
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