Romania ranks 49th in 2025 World Competitiveness Yearbook
Romania ranks 49th in this year's World Competitiveness Yearbook, with Switzerland, Singapore and Hong Kong occupying the podium, according to a press release from CIT-IRECSON - the Technological Information Centre - sent to AGERPRES on Tuesday.
According to the 2025 edition of the World Competitiveness Yearbook, Romania drops nine places in the 'Economic Performance' category (down to 56th), but rises four positions in 'Government Efficiency' (44th), four in 'Business Efficiency' (50th) and six places in 'Infrastructure' (45th).
Experts from the Technological Information Centre explain that Romania's decline in 'Economic Performance' is due to the overall sluggishness of the economy, reflected in macroeconomic indicators showing that the economic engine is running at a lower gear. 'Real GDP growth (0.8% in 2024), current account balance (-8.3% in 2024), inflation (5.6% in 2024), food costs (25% of household budgets spent on food in 2024), and youth unemployment (31.5% of young people seeking employment are unable to find jobs) are significant factors contributing to the decline in economic performance,' the release reads.
On the other hand, 'Government Efficiency' improved due to better institutional management and business legislation, with increases of 14 and 11 places, respectively. In this context, improvements were recorded in 'fiscal policy' (up three places compared to 2024), especially regarding tax collection, and in the 'societal framework' (up three places). 'All these improvements helped cushion the sharp eight-place drop in Public Finance, caused primarily by the budget deficit (-8.68% of GDP in 2024) and total public debt (57.44% of GDP in 2024),' the source also shows.
In the 'Business Efficiency' category, Romania climbed four places in the ranking due to improvements in 'Labour Productivity and Efficiency' (+9), 'Management Practices' (+5) and a more business-friendly 'Financial Environment' (+9).
At the same time, progress in 'Infrastructure' significantly influenced Romania's 2025 position, with notable increases across nearly all subcategories: a seven-place rise in Basic Infrastructure, five in Technological Infrastructure, nine in Health & Environment and four in Education.
'The results of the 2025 World Competitiveness Yearbook highlight the urgent need for Romanian society to undertake measures aimed at improving economic performance (where we lost 9 places in 2025) and to address at least three current challenges: inflationary pressures, total government debt and the current account balance. We also point out that the business environment is raising concerns about political instability and expressing fear over the potential failure of their enterprises,' CIT-IRECSON experts said.
CIT-IRECSON is accredited by the National Authority for Research and Development for conducting innovation and technology transfer activities and is a certified provider of professional training by the National Authority for Qualifications, in the fields of entrepreneurship, innovation and technology transfer.
The organisation is Romania's official partner of the IMD (International Institute for Management Development) World Competitiveness Center for the preparation of the World Competitiveness Yearbook. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Daniel Badea; EN - writing by: Adina Panaitescu)
The content of the www.agerpres.ro website has the exclusive purpose of public informing.
All the information published on this website by AGERPRES is protected by relevant legal dispositions.
It is forbidden to copy, reproduce, recompile, decompile, distribute, publish, display, modify, create derived components or products or full services, as well as any exploitation of the site's content.
Details in the section Terms of Use. If you are interested in picking up AGERPRES news items, please contact the Marketing Department – [email protected].
The use of the Comments section entails your obligation to respect the AGERPRES terms and conditions in regards to the publishing of comments on the www.agerpres.ro.
Other news in category
27th edition of George Enescu International Festival to open on 24 August
The 27th edition of the George Enescu International Festival opens on 24 August, inviting audiences on a sonic journey themed 'Anniversaries / Celebrations', marking 70 years since the death of composer George Enescu. According to a press release from Artexim sent to AGERPRES on Tuesday, this year's edition will bring together over 4,000 artists fr
Ethnologist at Banat Village Museum:The Sanziene sing for bounty of fields, treasures shine on this night
Romanian villages in the Banat region still preserve the beliefs that the heavens open during certain periods of the year, around major holidays such as the Sanziene celebration, and the those who pass on to the other side in those hours go straight to heaven, the forefathers' souls return home, spirits can talk to humans or treasures deeply buried shine at the surface a
ECDL Romania and AOAR launch GhidAI.ro, aimed at digital transformation of SMEs in Romania
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Romania are below the European average when it comes to the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), accounting for only 2.78% of the total, compared to 13.48% at the European Union (EU) level, according to a report by the European Commission (EC), cited in an analysis by ECDL Romania, a leader in digital skills certification in the c
ROMANIAN BLOUSE DAY/Dozens of folk blouses from interwar period, in 'Dowry Box' of a priest from Trifesti
An hour's drive from Piatra-Neamt, in the village of Miron Costin in the commune of Trifesti, there is a real 'Dowry Chest'. Dozens of women's blouses 'ii' from the interwar period, carefully collected by the village priest, reveal the beauty of Romanian folk costume, right from the area. Their story is presented by pries
Code Yellow heat warnings covering three-quarters of Romania until Thursday morning
The National Meteorological Administration (ANM) issued new Code Yellow heat warnings on Tuesday, which will remain in effect until Thursday morning and will cover over three-quarters of the country. According to meteorologists, the first Code Yellow warning for hot weather will be in force from 24 June at 10:00 a.m. to 25 June at 10:00 a.m., affecting Banat,
PM Bolojan: The first day in the service of our country at Victoria Palace. Respect for Romania
Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan arrived on Tuesday morning at the Victoria Governmental Palace, on his first day in office as head of the new government. He shared his first message on social media. 'The first day in the service of our country at Victoria Palace. Respect for Romania!,' he wrote on Facebook. The Bolojan Governm
Sustainable agriculture, development of sustainable infrastructure and smart cities, among themes of 30th event of 'Together we protect Romania'
The 30th event of the 'Together We Protect Romania' series, a conference organized under the theme 'Unlock the Future: Visionary Leaders. Bold Thinking. A Legacy of Impact. The best professionals for Romania's Sustainable Development', will take place on Tuesday at the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine. The event is o
Commissioner Minzatu discusses EU plans to address poverty and social exclusion, with a specific focus on housing
The European Commission is set to unveil on July 16 the next long-term EU financial plan, which will also include allocations for fighting poverty, and in 2026 it will launch the first European Anti-poverty Strategy and the first European Affordable Housing Plan, Roxana Minzatu - European Commission Executive Vice-President for Social Rights, Skills, Quality Jobs and Prepare
Members of Bolojan Government take oath of office
The members of the Government led by Ilie Bolojan took the oath of office on Monday evening, in the presence of President Nicusor Dan, during a ceremony held at Cotroceni Palace. The ceremony was attended by the interim president of the PSD, Sorin Grindeanu, the president of the USR, Dominic Fritz, the president of the UDMR, Kelemen Hunor, and the leader of th
Romania intending to host Black Sea AI Gigafactory
Romania is intending to host Black Sea AI Gigafactory, a state-of-the-art AI plant that will serve the Republic of Moldova and the entire Black Sea region, and it has submitted a letter of intent to the European Commission, according to the Ministry of Economy, Digital Transformation, Entrepreneurship and Tourism. 'The project submitted is not only about t
Romanian Folk Blouse Universal Day celebrated at ICR representations through dedicated events
The Romanian Cultural Institute (ICR) is organizing through its foreign representations a series of events dedicated to the Universal Day of the Romanian Folk Blouse - Ia Day, which is marked every year on June 24, in recognition of the role of this heritage item as a resource for the development and contemporary intercultural dialogue. The celebrations include exhibitions,
All Bolojan Gov't picks clear parliamentary hearings, head for plenary vote
All the ministerial picks for the Bolojan Government on Monday cleared the hearings of Parliament's specialist committees. Prime Minister-designate Ilie Bolojan is to ask for Parliament's vote of confidence in its agenda and of the entire list of the government, at a joint plenary session. The government's agenda and list of nominees
NZIA is a risk that can affect investments of natural gas producers (official)
The European Union's Regulation (EU) 2024/1735 on establishing a framework of measures for strengthening Europe's net-zero technology manufacturing ecosystem is a risk for natural gas producers, as it can affect their ongoing investments, according to Romgaz Deputy General Manager Aristotel Jude. 'Because there was a lot said about the problems tha
Over half of Romanians trust the United States and the United Kingdom (survey)
Over half of Romanians trust the United States and the United Kingdom, according to the Barometrul Informat.ro - INSCOP Research survey conducted between 26-30 May 2025. According to the sociological research, the U.S. leads the trust ranking among countries, with 52.8% of respondents stating they have quite a lot or very much trust in the country.