December 2025 - Romania’s business registration landscape showed significant year-over-year growth in December 2025, with new company formations increasing by 45.87% compared to the same month in 2024. However, this impressive growth in new business creation was overshadowed by a higher rate of business exits, resulting in a net contraction of the business ecosystem.

Registration Boom Across All Major Categories

The data reveals that Romania recorded 11,632 new business registrations in December 2025 , a substantial increase from 7,974 registrations in December 2024 . This represents an increase of 3,658 new businesses, marking one of the strongest December performances in recent years.

The growth was particularly pronounced among individual entrepreneurs (PFA), which saw a remarkable 108.93% increase year-over-year, rising from 1,747 registrations in December 2024 to 3,650 in December 2025 . Limited liability companies (SRL), the most common business form, also showed strong growth with a 27.4% increase, reaching 7,629 registrations compared to 5,988 in the previous year.

Industry-Specific Growth Patterns

The manufacturing sector experienced the most dramatic growth, with registrations increasing by 226.28% year-over-year . This surge brought manufacturing registrations to 1,018 in December 2025, up from just 312 in December 2024.

Other notable growth sectors included:

• Transport and storage: 55.78% increase to 1,832 registrations
• Information and communications: 59.85% increase to 1,079 registrations
• Hotels and restaurants: 75.33% increase to 533 registrations
• Professional, scientific and technical activities: 36.68% increase to 1,088 registrations

The wholesale and retail trade sector, traditionally the largest category, showed more modest growth of 3.25%, reaching 1,621 registrations.

Regional Distribution and Growth

Bucharest maintained its position as the dominant business hub with 2,683 registrations in December 2025, representing a 16.6% increase from the previous year . However, several counties showed even stronger percentage growth, with Maramureș leading at 125.86% growth, followed by Suceava (92.48%) and Iași (95.06%).

The data indicates a broadening of business formation beyond the traditional economic centers, suggesting increased entrepreneurial activity in regional economies.

Business Exit Trends and Ecosystem Health

Despite the strong growth in new registrations, the business ecosystem experienced net contraction. Business exits totaled 15,924 in December 2025 , resulting in a net loss of 4,292 businesses for the month .

The churn rate - the ratio of business exits to new registrations - stood at 136.9%, meaning that for every 100 new businesses created, approximately 137 businesses exited the market .

Year-over-year comparisons of business exits show mixed trends:

• Suspensions: Decreased by 1.94% to 1,925
• Dissolutions: Increased by 7.88% to 5,573
• Deregistrations: Decreased by 2.06% to 8,426

The increase in dissolutions suggests that more businesses are undergoing formal closure procedures rather than temporary suspensions or administrative deregistrations.

Context and Seasonal Considerations

December typically shows strong business registration activity as entrepreneurs seek to establish businesses before year-end for tax and administrative purposes. The 45.87% year-over-year growth in December 2025 represents a significant acceleration compared to the 12-month moving average of 12,790 registrations .

The data reflects several economic factors at play. The dramatic growth in manufacturing registrations suggests increased industrial activity and investment, while the strong performance in transport and storage aligns with ongoing infrastructure development and logistics expansion. The recovery in hotels and restaurants indicates continued rebound in tourism and hospitality sectors.

However, the net contraction of the business ecosystem (-4,292 businesses) highlights the challenging environment for business sustainability. The health ratio of 0.73 (registrations to exits) indicates that business exits continue to outpace new formations, a trend that has been consistent in recent months with a negative trend of -0.19 .

Conclusion

December 2025 presented a complex picture of Romania’s business landscape. While new business formation showed robust year-over-year growth across most sectors and regions, the high rate of business exits resulted in net contraction of the business ecosystem. The data suggests an economy with strong entrepreneurial initiative but significant challenges in business sustainability, particularly for smaller enterprises and individual entrepreneurs who showed the strongest growth in registrations but may face higher exit rates.

The manufacturing sector’s exceptional growth indicates potential industrial expansion, while the continued strength in professional services and information technology points to Romania’s evolving economic structure. However, the overall health of the business ecosystem remains a concern, with exits continuing to outpace new formations despite the impressive registration growth figures.