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Top economic activities in Romania — CAEN analysis 2026

· factcurier
CAENeconomic activitiesRomaniastatistics2026

Romania’s economy is built on the backbone of over 4 million registered companies, roughly 1.2 million of which are currently active. Understanding how these businesses distribute across economic sectors reveals the real structure of the Romanian market — and where the opportunities lie.

This analysis uses data from the Trade Register (ONRC) and ANAF, cross-referenced through factcurier’s interactive explorer, to provide a comprehensive picture of Romania’s business landscape in 2026.

What are CAEN codes?

CAEN (Clasificarea Activităților din Economia Națională) is Romania’s national classification of economic activities, based on the European NACE Rev.2 standard. Every company registered in Romania receives a primary CAEN code that defines its main business activity.

CAEN codes are hierarchical: the first two digits define the broad sector (called a “division”), which maps to one of 21 sections labeled A through U. For example, code 4711 means “Retail sale in non-specialised stores with food, beverages or tobacco predominating” — division 47 falls under Section G (Wholesale and retail trade).

You can search any company’s CAEN code on factcurier search.

Top 10 CAEN sections by company count

Here are the most popular economic sectors in Romania, ranked by total number of registered companies:

1. Section G — Wholesale and retail trade (~30%)

Trade dominates Romania’s economy with approximately 1.2 million registered companies. This includes everything from corner shops and online stores to wholesale distributors and auto dealerships. The CAEN divisions 45–47 cover motor vehicle trade, wholesale, and retail respectively.

2. Section F — Construction (~12%)

Construction is Romania’s second-largest sector with roughly 480,000 companies. This includes building construction (CAEN 41), civil engineering (42), and specialised construction activities like electrical installation and plumbing (43). EU-funded infrastructure projects continue to drive growth.

3. Section C — Manufacturing (~10%)

About 400,000 companies operate in manufacturing, from food processing (CAEN 10-12) to machinery and equipment. Romania remains competitive in automotive parts, textiles, and furniture manufacturing.

4. Section M — Professional, scientific and technical activities (~8%)

This fast-growing sector includes management consulting (CAEN 70), legal and accounting services (69), architecture and engineering (71), and IT consulting. Approximately 320,000 companies operate in these knowledge-intensive fields.

5. Section H — Transportation and storage (~6%)

About 240,000 companies are registered in transport, including road freight (CAEN 49), warehousing (52), and postal/courier services (53). Romania’s geographic position as an EU gateway to Southeast Europe makes logistics a strategic sector.

6. Section I — Accommodation and food service (~5%)

Hotels, restaurants, and catering represent roughly 200,000 companies. Tourism along the Black Sea coast, in Transylvania, and in Bucharest continues to expand this sector.

7. Section J — Information and communication (~4%)

Romania’s IT sector punches above its weight. Approximately 160,000 companies operate in software development (CAEN 62), telecommunications (61), and information services (63). Cities like Cluj-Napoca, Bucharest, Timișoara, and Iași are major tech hubs.

8. Section K — Financial and insurance activities (~3%)

The financial sector includes about 120,000 companies spanning banking, insurance, financial consulting, and fintech.

9. Section L — Real estate activities (~3%)

Real estate operations, including property management and agency services, account for approximately 120,000 companies.

10. Section N — Administrative and support services (~3%)

Temporary employment agencies, security services, cleaning companies, and travel agencies make up this sector with roughly 120,000 businesses.

Geographic distribution

Romania’s business activity is heavily concentrated in the capital region:

  • Bucharest leads with approximately 25% of all registered companies — roughly 1 million businesses in the capital alone
  • Cluj county follows with about 5%, driven by its thriving IT and services sector
  • Timiș (Timișoara) accounts for roughly 4%, as western Romania’s economic hub
  • Iași and Constanța each represent about 3%, anchoring the northeast and southeast respectively
  • Ilfov (the county surrounding Bucharest) has seen rapid growth, now hosting about 3% of companies

The remaining 37 counties share the balance, with significant variation. Counties in the northeast and south tend to have lower business density, while urban centres in Transylvania (Brașov, Sibiu) punch above their demographic weight.

Explore the full county-by-county breakdown on our interactive map.

E-commerce acceleration. The pandemic permanently shifted consumer behaviour. Companies in CAEN 4791 (retail sale via mail order or internet) have grown rapidly, and the trend continues.

IT sector consolidation. While new IT company registrations have slowed from the 2020–2022 peak, the sector remains one of Romania’s most valuable. Companies are growing in size rather than proliferating in number.

Green energy expansion. CAEN section D (electricity, gas, steam) is seeing new entrants as Romania expands renewable energy capacity under EU Green Deal commitments.

e-Factura driving formalisation. Since mandatory e-Invoicing took effect in 2024, previously informal businesses are formalising. This may increase the active company count over the coming years.

How to use this data

Whether you’re a foreign investor evaluating market entry, a Romanian entrepreneur choosing your CAEN code, or an accountant analysing your client portfolio, factcurier provides the tools:

  • Company search — Look up any Romanian company by name, CUI, or CAEN code
  • Interactive explorer — Browse companies by county and CAEN section with real-time data
  • Create an account — Manage your company’s accounting and invoicing with AI assistance

Data sourced from the Romanian Trade Register (ONRC) and ANAF. For accountants: factcurier is free forever for accountants — add your clients directly from search.