Romania's economy grew by 0.8% last year, compared with an increase of 1.3% forecast in June last year and 2.1% estimated at the beginning of last year, according to the latest Global Economic Prospects report published by the World Bank.
Also, this year Romania's GDP is expected to grow by 1.3%, compared to 1.9% forecast in June last year and 2.6% estimated in January 2025 by the World Bank.
The growth rate of the Romanian economy is expected to improve in 2027, to 1.9%, less than the 2.5% forecast by the World Bank in the middle of last year.
According to the international financial institution, „economic growth in Central Europe is expected to improve to 2.6% in 2026-2027, supported by strong investment, especially in Poland and Romania, thanks to increased financing from the European Union”. On the other hand, „fiscal challenges will persist, particularly in Romania, where fiscal consolidation is expected to weigh on growth”.
Overall, World Bank forecasts weak growth of 2.6%, of the global economy, a result it nevertheless sees as a sign of resilience to trade tensions.
The World Bank's semi-annual Global Economic Prospects report shows that global GDP growth is expected to slow slightly to 2.61pc of GDP this year from 2.71pc in 2025, before returning to growth of 2.71pc in 2027.
The latest forecasts for world GDP growth in 2026 are two-tenths of a percentage point higher than the previous forecasts published in June last year, while growth in 2025 will exceed the previous projections by four-tenths of a percentage point.
The World Bank emphasized that about two-thirds of the upward revision reflects better-than-expected growth in the US, despite trade disruptions caused by additional tariffs. The international institution forecasts that the US GDP advance will reach 2.2% in 2026, compared with 2.1% in 2025, an increase of two and a half-tenths tenths from the June forecast.
After the surge in imports, set to exceed tariffs in early 2025, held back the US economic advance for 2025, higher fiscal stimulus will boost growth in 2026, offsetting the impact of tariffs on investment and consumption, the World Bank has assessed.