EXCLUSIVE: Romania’s business landscape is facing an unprecedented crisis of centralization, with Bucharest-Ilfov’s overwhelming dominance threatening to choke the economic life out of the provinces, according to alarming new registration data for September 2025.

The Capital’s Stranglehold

Bucharest alone accounted for a staggering **3,366 in September 2025,. Combined, the capital region represents 28.5% of all new business activity in the country—a concentration level that economic experts warn is unsustainable and dangerous.

“The capital is vacuuming up all economic oxygen,” warned one regional development analyst who spoke on condition of anonymity. “When nearly one-third of all new businesses cluster in just two counties, we’re looking at a recipe for economic collapse in the provinces.”

Provincial Desperation

While the capital region boasted explosive growth—Bucharest up 50.54% and Ilfov surging 53.14% year-over-year—the provinces are showing worrying signs of economic distress. The data reveals a troubling pattern: only major urban centers like Cluj (+62.72%), Iași (+64.23%), and Dolj (+102.53%) are keeping pace, while smaller counties face potential economic desertification.

“These growth numbers are misleading,” the analyst continued. “They mask the reality that smaller counties are being left behind in a digital and economic divide that’s widening by the month.”

Entity Type Crisis

The breakdown by business structure reveals an even more alarming trend. Limited liability companies (SRLs) dominated the landscape with **9,343, while individual enterprises (PFAs) exploded by 117.53% to 4,938.

“This PFA explosion is deeply concerning,” said another economic observer. “It suggests entrepreneurs are choosing individual enterprises over more stable corporate structures, likely due to economic uncertainty and risk aversion. When businesses don’t have the confidence to form proper companies, we’re looking at fragile economic foundations.”

Industry Concentration Crisis

The industry breakdown paints a picture of economic imbalance that should terrify policymakers. Wholesale and retail trade led with **18,223, followed closely by transport and storage at **17,828.

But the real story is in what’s missing: high-value industries like IT, professional services, and manufacturing are becoming increasingly concentrated in the capital region, leaving provinces dependent on low-margin trade and transport activities.

“Romania is developing a two-tier economy,” warned our source. “The capital gets the high-paying tech jobs and professional services, while the provinces get warehouses and retail outlets. This isn’t sustainable development—it’s economic apartheid.”

The Churn Crisis

Perhaps most alarming is the business churn data. While Romania recorded **14,810, there were **12,951 including 5,339 dissolutions and **6,025.

“That’s a churn rate of 87.45%,” the analyst calculated. “For every 100 new businesses, 87 are closing. This isn’t healthy entrepreneurship—it’s economic musical chairs where only the capital region has enough chairs.”

The Future Looks Bleak

The net growth of just **1,859 nationwide masks the regional disparities. While Bucharest-Ilfov enjoys robust growth, many provincial counties are barely treading water.

“If this trend continues, we’ll see Romania’s economic map redrawn with Bucharest as an island of prosperity surrounded by economic wastelands,” our source concluded. “The government’s regional development policies have failed, and we’re paying the price in lost opportunities and economic stagnation across vast swathes of the country.”

The data doesn’t lie: Romania’s economic future is becoming dangerously centralized, and without immediate intervention, the provinces face a bleak economic future that could take generations to recover from.