EXCLUSIVE: Romania’s business registration data for September 2025 reveals a terrifying paradox—while new company formations surged by a staggering 54.5, the country is simultaneously experiencing a business collapse epidemic that threatens to wipe out the entire economic foundation.

The Illusion of Growth

On the surface, the numbers look impressive: 14,810 new business registrations in September 2025 compared to just 9,585. But this apparent boom is dangerously misleading.

The real story lies in the catastrophic business exit rates. A shocking 12,951 companies disappeared from the market in September alone—through suspensions, dissolutions,. The business churn rate hit an alarming 87.45, meaning for every 100 new companies registered, 87 existing ones failed.

Business Massacre Unfolding

The year-over-year comparison reveals a business bloodbath:

• Dissolutions skyrocketed 73.85% to 5,339
• Suspensions surged 39.95% to 1,587
• Deregistrations jumped 25.42% to 6,025

This represents a complete collapse of business sustainability, with companies failing at unprecedented rates just as new ones flood the market.

The PFA Time Bomb

The registration surge is dominated by Individual Enterprises (PFA), which exploded by 117.53% year-over-year to 4,938. This massive growth in the most vulnerable business category—typically lacking capital, resources, and staying power—suggests desperate entrepreneurship rather than sustainable economic development.

SRL registrations grew more moderately at 33.89% to 9,343, but even this growth appears unsustainable given the broader collapse trends.

Industry Implosion Patterns

The industry breakdown reveals alarming sector-specific collapses:

• Transport and storage saw explosive 56.7% growth to 17,828, suggesting a potentially oversaturated market headed for mass failure
• Wholesale and retail trade dominated with 18,223 registrations, but this sector historically experiences the highest failure rates
• **Agriculture, forestry,, indicating fundamental problems in Romania’s rural economy

The Economic Reality Check

Economists warn that this pattern represents a “registration bubble”—massive entry of undercapitalized businesses that will inevitably fail within months. The net growth of just 1,859 barely masks the underlying collapse.

The health ratio of 1.14 suggests that for every business that exits, only 1.14 new ones enter—a dangerously low margin that could easily tip into negative territory with any economic shock.

What’s Driving the Crisis?

The data suggests multiple converging crises:

• Economic desperation driving people into unsustainable entrepreneurship
• Oversaturated markets in key sectors like transport and retail
• Regulatory burdens making business survival increasingly difficult
• Capital shortages preventing new businesses from weathering initial challenges

The September surge, traditionally a strong month for business formation, appears to be masking deeper structural problems in Romania’s economy. With business failures accelerating at nearly triple the rate of sustainable growth, the country faces a potential economic implosion that could wipe out years of development progress.

Bottom Line: Romania’s business registration boom is a mirage hiding a catastrophic failure rate that threatens to collapse the entire entrepreneurial ecosystem. The numbers don’t lie—the country is registering businesses faster than they can fail, creating an unsustainable bubble that could burst with devastating consequences for the entire economy.