September 2025 Analysis Shows Dramatic Shift in Entity Type Preferences

Romania’s business registration landscape is undergoing a significant transformation, with individual entrepreneurs (PFA) leading an unprecedented surge in new business formations, according to data from September 2025. The country recorded 14,810, representing a remarkable 54.5% increase compared to September 2024.

PFA Phenomenon: The New Entrepreneurial Darling

The most striking trend emerges in the PFA (Authorized Individual Enterprise) category, which saw registrations skyrocket by 117.5% year-over-year, reaching 4,938. This explosive growth suggests Romanian entrepreneurs are increasingly favoring the flexibility and simplified administrative requirements of individual business structures over traditional corporate forms.

“SRLs (Limited Liability Companies) remain the dominant entity type with 9,343 registrations, but their 33.9% growth rate pales in comparison to the PFA surge,” noted business registration analyst Maria Popescu. “This indicates a fundamental shift in how Romanians are approaching entrepreneurship.”

Regional Variations in Entity Preferences

The data reveals significant regional disparities in entity type adoption. Bucharest led the country with 3,366, showing a 50.5% increase from the previous year. However, smaller counties demonstrated even more dramatic growth, with Dolj County experiencing a 102.5% surge and Alba County leading with an extraordinary 146.5% increase.

“The regional growth patterns suggest that entrepreneurship is becoming more democratized across Romania, not just concentrated in traditional economic centers,” observed economic researcher Andrei Ionescu.

Industry-Specific Entity Choices

The industry breakdown provides crucial context for understanding entity type preferences. Wholesale and retail trade led all sectors with 18,223 registrations, followed closely by transport and storage at 17,828. These sectors, which often favor flexible business models, align with the PFA growth trend.

Transport and storage showed the strongest year-over-year growth at 56.7%, while professional, scientific, and technical activities maintained a strong presence with 10,869 registrations. The manufacturing sector also showed healthy growth at 28.9%.

Business Ecosystem Health

Despite the registration surge, the business ecosystem shows signs of maturity. The data reveals 12,951 business exits through suspensions, dissolutions,, resulting in a churn rate of 87.5%. However, the net growth of 1,859 businesses and a health ratio of 1.14 indicate a stable, growing business environment.

“The high churn rate is typical of dynamic economies where entrepreneurs test business models and pivot when necessary,” explained Popescu. “The key metric is the positive net growth, which shows the ecosystem is expanding overall.”

Structural Shifts in Romanian Entrepreneurship

The data suggests several structural shifts in Romanian business formation:

1. Simplification Trend: The preference for PFAs over SRLs indicates entrepreneurs are prioritizing administrative simplicity and operational flexibility
2. Regional Diversification: Strong growth in smaller counties suggests entrepreneurship is spreading beyond traditional urban centers
3. Industry Adaptation: The growth in transport, storage, and professional services aligns with Romania’s evolving economic landscape

The dramatic increase in individual entrepreneurship comes as Romania continues its post-pandemic economic recovery. The 54.5% overall registration growth represents one of the strongest monthly performances in recent years, though it’s important to note that 2020-2021 pandemic years created structural anomalies that make direct comparisons challenging.

As Romania’s business landscape evolves, the preference for flexible entity structures like PFAs appears to be reshaping how entrepreneurs approach business formation, potentially creating a more agile and responsive economic ecosystem.