Who owns what in Romania's economy

Two questions about ownership: whose money built Romania's foreign-owned companies, and who lends to the state. The answers come from Eurostat, with the source on every figure.

The live view

OWN_06

Who owns the foreign-owned companies

share of the stock of foreign direct investment in Romania, by the country of the ultimate owner · 2024

Foreign direct investment in Romania, in total: 120.1 bn € (2024)

Source: EUROSTAT · 2024
DEBT_02

Who holds the state's debt

share of general government debt, by holder · ESA · 2025
Source: EUROSTAT · 2025

Held at home and abroad

% of GDP · general government debt held by residents and by non-residents, annual
ResidentsNon-residents
Source: EUROSTAT · 2025

Debt held abroad: the neighbours

% of GDP · held by non-residents · latest year all five have published
  1. Romania29.7%
  2. Hungary27.1%
  3. Poland20.6%
  4. Bulgaria15.1%
  5. Czechia10.8%
Source: EUROSTAT · 2025

Background

Ultimate owners. A German group may own its Romanian subsidiary through a holding company in the Netherlands. Counted by the immediate investor, the money would look Dutch; this page follows it to the ultimate owner, as Eurostat reports it. “Romania” in the list is Romanian money that went abroad and came back as foreign investment.

The stock, not the flow. These are the investments accumulated at the end of each year, at book value — what foreign owners hold, not what came in that year (for that, see Flows).

Who lends to the state. Government debt is held by banks, pension funds and insurers, households buying government bonds, the central bank, and investors abroad. The larger the share held abroad, the more the state depends on foreign investors’ confidence — and on the rating agencies they follow.

Coming next: the state as owner. The state’s stakes in listed companies — Hidroelectrica, Romgaz, Nuclearelectrica and others — with their market value. That needs a data agreement with the Bucharest Stock Exchange.

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