Inflation continues to rise in Romania
In Romania, the inflation rate rose to 6.9% in October, up from 6.6% in September, marking a second consecutive month of increase, according to data released by the National Institute of Statistics (INS).
Corina Cristea, 13.11.2026, 13:50
Inflation continues to rank among the most pressing challenges facing the Romanian economy. Following a period during which the pace of price increases appeared to be easing, the latest figures published by the National Institute of Statistics point to a fresh acceleration. In October, the annual inflation rate reached 6.94%, compared with 6.61% in September and 6.17% in August.
The steepest year-on-year increases continue to be recorded in services, where prices have risen by more than 11%. Rents are almost 38.5% higher than a year ago, while water supply, sewerage and waste collection services have become almost 14% more expensive. Among non-food goods, price pressures are being driven primarily by fuel, with diesel costing more than 43% more and petrol almost 33% more than a year earlier.
Food prices, by contrast, recorded an annual increase of only around 3%, although certain products, including coffee, eggs and cow’s milk, have seen substantial price rises. Despite the differing pace of increases across categories, their cumulative impact is a decline in purchasing power. The trend is particularly concerning for low- and middle-income households, for whom food, transport, energy and housing account for a substantial proportion of monthly expenditure.
Price pressures have both a temporary component, linked to energy, and a more persistent one, stemming from the country’s budgetary imbalance, says Adrian Codirlaşu, President of the Romanian Association of Financial Analysts, affiliated with the CFA Institute, the international organisation for investment and financial analysis professionals: “There are two factors driving inflation in Romania. One is the structural factor, which generates inflation over the long term, namely the budget deficit. When the government runs a deficit and issues a bond, it is effectively printing money, and the money printed feeds through into inflation. So, as long as we continue to have such a large budget deficit, the associated inflation will persist. The second factor is temporary, and that is energy prices. We have seen significant price increases across all three types of energy: electricity, due to circumstances in Romania, namely the shutdown of the Cernavodă nuclear power plant; natural gas; and fuel, as a result of the war in Iran.”
At the same time, household incomes are failing to keep pace with rising prices. Adrian Codirlaşu points out that net wages have increased by only 5% over the past 12 months, below the rate of inflation, resulting in a further erosion of purchasing power. Against this backdrop, the National Bank of Romania (BNR) has decided to leave its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 6.5%. The central bank expects inflation to edge up further towards the end of the year, with a return to the target range, that is, below 3.5%, not anticipated until the first quarter of 2028.
(EE)
