Analysis reveals stark contrast between Bucharest-Ilfov’s dominance and provincial growth patterns

Romania’s business landscape showed a dramatic centralization trend in July 2025, with the Bucharest-Ilfov region accounting for more than a quarter of all new company registrations while provincial counties demonstrated explosive growth rates, according to the latest business registration data.

Capital Dominance in Registration Volume

The data reveals a clear concentration of economic activity in the capital region. Bucharest alone recorded 3,172,. Combined, the capital region represented 26.3% of Romania’s total 15,168.

This concentration becomes even more striking when compared to the next largest provincial centers. Iași, Romania’s second-largest city, registered 665 new businesses, while Cluj followed with 659 registrations - both representing less than one-fifth of Bucharest’s volume.

Provincial Growth Outpaces Capital

Despite the capital’s volume dominance,, was significantly outpaced by multiple provincial regions.

“While Bucharest maintains its position as Romania’s economic engine, we’re seeing strong evidence of economic decentralization,” the data suggests. “Counties like Alba, Dolj, and Iași are experiencing business registration booms that far exceed the capital’s growth trajectory.”

Business Lifecycle Patterns Show Regional Resilience

The business ecosystem health metrics reveal interesting regional patterns. While Bucharest led in both suspensions (251) and dissolutions (1,035 indicates a healthy balance between new registrations and business exits across Romania.

The net growth of 1,059 suggests sustainable expansion despite the high volume of business closures.

Industry Distribution Shows Regional Specialization

The industry breakdown reveals distinct regional patterns. While wholesale and retail trade (14,213 registrations) and transport/storage (14,065 registrations) dominated nationally, provincial counties showed strong representation in construction (7,984 registrations) and manufacturing (3,624 registrations) - sectors that typically require more physical infrastructure and may benefit from provincial locations.

Professional and technical services (8,312 registrations) showed strong presence across both capital and provinces, indicating the sector’s decentralization potential.

Entity Type Preferences Reflect Regional Business Culture

Limited liability companies (SRLs) remained the preferred business structure nationwide with 10,832, representing 71% of all new businesses. Individual enterprises (PFAs) followed with 3,886 registrations,, outpacing SRL growth of 111%, suggesting a surge in individual entrepreneurship across both capital and provinces.

Economic Implications

The July 2025 data paints a picture of Romania’s evolving economic geography. While Bucharest-Ilfov continues to dominate in absolute volume, provincial counties are closing the gap through explosive growth rates. This suggests that economic opportunities are becoming more geographically distributed, potentially reducing regional economic disparities over time.

The strong performance in transport, construction, and professional services across multiple regions indicates a diversified economic base developing outside the capital, though the concentration of high-value services and corporate headquarters in Bucharest remains evident.

As Romania’s business ecosystem continues to mature, the balance between capital concentration and provincial growth will be crucial for sustainable national economic development. The current data suggests both trends are progressing simultaneously - centralization in certain sectors coexisting with decentralization in others.