INS: Romania’s GDP fell by 0.7% in the first half of 2026

Romania’s gross domestic product fell by 0.7% in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period last year, according to provisional data published Monday by the National Institute of Statistics. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the decline was 1.6%.

In the second quarter, GDP remained unchanged from the first three months of the year, but was 2% lower than in the second quarter of 2025, on a seasonally adjusted basis. On a gross basis, the annual decline was 0.4%. Quarterly GDP was estimated at 521.099 billion lei at current prices.

Economic growth was supported by construction, whose output increased by 12.3%, as well as by cultural and recreational activities and agriculture. By contrast, trade, transport, hotels and restaurants made a negative contribution, amid a 3.9% decline in activity. Industry contracted by 2.9%, while the information and communications sector fell by 3.5%.

From the expenditure perspective, household consumption fell by 2.5%, while investment in fixed assets increased by 10.9%. Exports rose by 1.3%, but imports grew faster, by 1.6%, weighing on the economic result.