Romania’s services output rose by 5.2% in August, the largest monthly increase reported in the EU

In August 2026, Romania recorded a monthly increase of 5.2% in services production, following the 0.7% decline in July. The rise exceeded the 0.3% growth in the EU and the euro area, according to Eurostat. Compared with August 2025, activity increased by 5.4%, although developments varied from one branch to another.

Romania’s services production increased by 5.2% in August 2026 compared with July, the largest increase among the EU states with available data, according to estimates published by Eurostat on Monday. The recovery follows a monthly decline of 0.7% in July and exceeds the 0.3% increase recorded in both the European Union and the euro area.

In brief

Romania recorded the largest reported monthly increase in the EU: services production rose by 5.2% in August 2026, following a 0.7% decline in July. The EU and the euro area each recorded an increase of 0.3%.

Compared with August 2025, Romania’s growth was 5.4%, above the 2.1% increase in the EU and the 2.2% increase in the euro area. Slovakia, Greece and Malta recorded the largest annual increases.

Developments across Romania’s branches varied: transport and storage increased by 3.4% month on month, while information and communication rose by 2.8%. Accommodation and food services declined by 2.1%.

The index measures the volume of activity after removing the effect of prices, not companies’ revenues or profits. The aggregate does not include trade, finance and insurance, public administration, education or health.

The monthly comparison is seasonally and calendar adjusted, while the annual comparison is calendar adjusted. The data are preliminary estimates and may be revised; the next release is scheduled for 7 December.

Malta, with an increase of 1.8%, and Portugal, with 1.7%, recorded the next-largest monthly increases. At the other end were Luxembourg, with a decline of 5.1%, Bulgaria, with 2.3%, and Denmark, with 1.9%. The comparison shows how quickly activity changed from the previous month, not the size of the services sector in each country.

Compared with August 2025, Romania’s services production increased by 5.4%, after standing 4.6% below the level of the same month a year earlier in July. August’s annual growth exceeded the 2.1% increase in the EU and the 2.2% increase in the euro area. The largest annual increases were recorded in Slovakia, at 10%, Greece, at 9.3%, and Malta, at 7.5%.

Within the Romanian economy, however, developments were uneven. Detailed Eurostat series show a monthly increase of 27.4% in real estate activities, 3.4% in transport and storage, and 2.8% in information and communication. Professional, scientific and technical activities included in the indicator increased by 2.5%, while administrative and support services rose by 0.1%. Accommodation and food services declined by 2.1%. These rates describe the development of each branch; they do not represent their contributions to the overall increase of 5.2%.

The indicator brings together transport and storage, accommodation and food services, information and communication, real estate activities, part of professional, scientific and technical services, and administrative and support services. Trade, finance and insurance, public administration, education and health are outside this aggregate. The methodology also excludes head-office activities, scientific research and development, and veterinary activities. The result therefore does not describe the entire services sector and is not a GDP growth rate.

Eurostat measures the volume of activity after removing the effect of price changes. An increase in production does not automatically mean that revenues, profits or the number of employees rose by the same proportion. For the comparison with the previous month, seasonally and calendar-adjusted data are used so that the usual fluctuations in activity throughout the year and calendar differences do not distort the result. The annual comparison uses calendar-adjusted data.

The figures are preliminary estimates for August and may be revised as additional information becomes available. They show a recovery after the decline in July, without by themselves establishing a trend for the final months of the year. Eurostat’s next release on services production is scheduled for 7 December.

https://2eu.brussels/ro/news/productia-serviciilor-a-crescut-cu-5-2-in-romania-cel-mai-mare-avans-lunar-raportat-in-ue