From its burgeoning factories to the living rooms of Europe, Romania's furniture industry is crafting a remarkable success story, producing everything from sofas to kitchen cabinets for a global market while driving significant economic growth at home.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, Romania's furniture industry produced 12.5 million cubic meters of wooden furniture components
- Romania's furniture sector output value reached 5.3 billion euros in 2023, marking a 7.2% increase from 2022
- The share of upholstered furniture in total production was 28.4% in 2022
- Furniture exports from Romania totaled 4.8 billion euros in 2023, up 12.5% from 2022
- Germany received 28.7% of Romania's furniture exports in 2023, valued at 1.38 billion euros
- France imported 650 million euros worth of Romanian furniture in 2022
- Furniture imports to Romania totaled 850 million euros in 2023
- China supplied 42% of furniture imports, 357 million euros in 2022
- Italy imports to Romania: 180 million euros in 2023
- Total furniture employment in Romania: 62,500 workers in 2023
- Average salary in furniture sector: 1,250 euros gross monthly in 2023
- Unemployment rate in industry: 2.8% in 2022
- Total turnover of furniture industry: 6.2 billion euros in 2023
- Profit margin average: 7.8% in 2022
- Domestic market size: 1.4 billion euros in 2023
Romania's furniture industry is growing strongly through rising production and increased exports.
Employment and Workforce
- Total furniture employment in Romania: 62,500 workers in 2023
- Average salary in furniture sector: 1,250 euros gross monthly in 2023
- Unemployment rate in industry: 2.8% in 2022
- Women employment share: 48.2% of total workforce in 2023
- Skilled carpenters: 18,400 employed in 2022
- Training programs participants: 4,500 annually in 2023
- Labor productivity growth: 9.7% YoY in 2022
- Overtime hours average: 12 per worker monthly in 2023
- Youth under 25 employment: 15.4% in 2022
- Migrant workers share: 3.2% from Asia in 2023
- Turnover rate: 11.5% annually in 2022
- Union membership: 22% of employees in 2023
- Safety incidents per 1,000 workers: 4.2 in 2022
- Remote work adoption: 5.8% in design roles in 2023
- Apprenticeships: 2,100 slots filled in 2022
- Hourly labor cost: 7.2 euros in 2023
- Part-time workers: 8.4% of total in 2022
- R&D staff in sector: 1,850 in 2023
- Female managers share: 26.7% in 2022
- Seasonal employment peak: +15,000 workers in summer 2023
- Digital skills training: 65% of workforce by 2023
- Average age of workers: 42.3 years in 2022
- Disability employment quota met: 4.1% in 2023
Employment and Workforce Interpretation
The Romanian furniture industry is crafting a surprisingly sturdy success story, proving you can build a near-full-employment sector that pays a decent wage while still searching for the right pieces—like more female managers and a lighter touch on overtime—to complete its modern design.
Export Performance
- Furniture exports from Romania totaled 4.8 billion euros in 2023, up 12.5% from 2022
- Germany received 28.7% of Romania's furniture exports in 2023, valued at 1.38 billion euros
- France imported 650 million euros worth of Romanian furniture in 2022
- USA market share for Romanian furniture exports: 9.2% or 442 million euros in 2023
- UK imports from Romania: 320 million euros in 2023, growth 15.4%
- Italy took 12.1% of exports, 581 million euros in 2022
- Netherlands furniture imports from Romania: 280 million euros in 2023
- Belgium received 210 million euros in furniture exports from Romania in 2022
- Spain imports: 195 million euros, up 18% in 2023
- Sweden's share: 8.5% or 408 million euros in 2023
- Austria imported 150 million euros of furniture from Romania in 2022
- Export growth to Middle East: 22% to 95 million euros in 2023
- Wooden furniture exports: 3.2 billion euros, 67% of total in 2023
- Upholstered exports value: 1.1 billion euros in 2022
- Kitchen furniture exports to EU: 850 million euros in 2023
- Office furniture export volume: 1.8 million units to 45 countries in 2022
- Share of exports in total production: 82.4% in 2023
- Number of export markets: 145 countries in 2023
- Average export price per cubic meter: 450 euros in 2022
- Container shipments abroad: 1.2 million TEU in 2023
- Certification compliance for exports: 94.7% of shipments in 2022
- E-commerce furniture exports: 180 million euros in 2023
- Top product export: Seats and sofas at 1.45 billion euros in 2023
- Intra-EU exports: 3.9 billion euros, 81% of total in 2022
- Extra-EU exports growth: 19.3% to 900 million euros in 2023
- Trade fairs participation led to 250 million euros deals in 2022
- Romania ranked 4th in EU furniture exports with 6.2% share in 2023
- Poland as competitor took 15% less market in 2023
Export Performance Interpretation
Romania’s furniture industry is building an export empire so sturdy that even its European competitors are nervously eyeing their own shelves, with Germany practically moving in and the world eagerly placing orders.
Financial and Market Metrics
- Total turnover of furniture industry: 6.2 billion euros in 2023
- Profit margin average: 7.8% in 2022
- Domestic market size: 1.4 billion euros in 2023
- Investment in machinery: 450 million euros in 2022
- Number of companies: 8,200 active firms in 2023
- EBITDA growth: 11.2% to 480 million euros in 2023
- Retail sales volume: 1.1 million tons in 2022
- E-commerce share in sales: 18.5% in 2023
- R&D expenditure: 2.1% of turnover, 130 million euros in 2022
- Tax contributions: 650 million euros to budget in 2023
- Market concentration top 10 firms: 35% share in 2022
- Inflation impact on costs: +9.4% in 2023
- Sustainability investments: 120 million euros in 2022
- Average firm revenue: 755,000 euros in 2023
- Debt ratio average: 42.3% in 2022
- Export financing usage: 280 million euros loans in 2023
- Price increase domestic: 6.8% YoY in 2022
- Value added to GDP: 1.8% from furniture in 2023
- SME share 95% of firms, turnover 55% in 2022
- Digital transformation budget: 85 million euros in 2023
- Insurance coverage for exports: 95% of value in 2022
- Brand value top firms: 150 million euros combined in 2023
Financial and Market Metrics Interpretation
Romania's furniture industry is a paradox of scrappy SME hustle—with 95% of firms being small, they somehow manage to contribute over half the turnover, navigate inflationary headwinds with 11.2% EBITDA growth, and still find enough loose change between the sofa cushions to invest seriously in sustainability and digital transformation, proving that even a fragmented, cost-sensitive sector can build a remarkably solid and modern economic chair.
Import Data
- Furniture imports to Romania totaled 850 million euros in 2023
- China supplied 42% of furniture imports, 357 million euros in 2022
- Italy imports to Romania: 180 million euros in 2023
- Germany furniture imports: 95 million euros, down 5% in 2022
- Turkey share in imports: 12.4%, 105 million euros in 2023
- Poland imports: 72 million euros in 2022
- Vietnam emerging supplier: 45 million euros in 2023, up 30%
- Components imports value: 420 million euros in 2022
- Upholstered furniture imports: 150 million euros from Asia in 2023
- Office furniture imports growth: 8.2% to 68 million euros in 2022
- Mattresses imports: 35 million units value in 2023
- Wooden imports mostly panels: 280 million euros in 2022
- Import dependency ratio: 16.1% of domestic consumption in 2023
- Anti-dumping measures on Chinese imports affected 20% in 2022
- Customs value average for imports: 320 euros per m3 in 2023
- Intra-EU imports: 520 million euros, 61% total in 2022
- Extra-EU imports: 330 million euros in 2023
- High-end furniture imports from Italy: 45 million euros in 2022
- Import of fittings and hardware: 95 million euros in 2023
- Share of cheap imports in retail: 35% in 2022
- Tariff barriers reduced imports by 7% from Asia in 2023
Import Data Interpretation
Romania’s homes are a testament to global craftsmanship, where the living room is likely a Chinese import, the bedroom boasts Italian elegance, and the home office is steadily being built with German and Polish components, all while customs forms pile up faster than the furniture itself.
Production and Manufacturing
- In 2022, Romania's furniture industry produced 12.5 million cubic meters of wooden furniture components
- Romania's furniture sector output value reached 5.3 billion euros in 2023, marking a 7.2% increase from 2022
- The share of upholstered furniture in total production was 28.4% in 2022
- Kitchen furniture production volume grew by 11.5% to 1.2 million units in 2023
- Office furniture manufacturing accounted for 15.7% of total furniture output value in 2022
- In 2023, bedroom furniture production reached 2.8 million pieces, up 9.1% YoY
- Garden furniture output increased by 14.3% to 850,000 units in 2022
- Total furniture factories in Romania numbered 1,245 in 2023
- Wooden furniture production value was 3.1 billion euros in 2022
- Capacity utilization in furniture plants averaged 78.2% in 2023
- Dining room furniture production hit 1.1 million sets in 2023
- Metal furniture output grew 6.8% to 450,000 units in 2022
- Rattan and wicker furniture production was 120,000 pieces in 2023
- Automated production lines in furniture sector increased to 320 in 2023
- Annual production of mattresses reached 4.2 million units in 2022
- Furniture component manufacturing output value: 1.8 billion euros in 2023
- Youth furniture production: 750,000 units in 2022, up 12%
- Recycling rate of production waste in furniture industry: 65.4% in 2023
- CNC machinery units in use: 2,150 across factories in 2023
- Production of modular furniture: 950,000 modules in 2022
- Upholstery fabric consumption: 45 million sqm in 2023
- Particleboard usage in furniture: 3.7 million m3 in 2022
- Handcrafted furniture production share: 8.2% of total in 2023
- Annual output of sofa beds: 1.5 million units in 2023
- Furniture painting lines operational: 180 in 2022
- Eco-labeled furniture production: 22% of total output in 2023
- Production downtime due to energy costs: 4.2% in 2022
- Custom-made furniture output value: 420 million euros in 2023
- Total production employees' productivity: 45,200 euros per worker in 2022
Production and Manufacturing Interpretation
While Romania's furniture industry is busily crafting everything from sofas to garden sets with impressive growth, it's clear they're not just wood-whittling in the dark—they're sitting on a 5.3-billion-euro throne built from savvy automation, a dash of eco-consciousness, and an impressive 65.4% recycling rate, proving that even when energy costs try to slow them down, their productivity per worker remains comfortably cushioned.