Romania Romania a maturing market

As much as 60 pct, or 774,000 sqm of the space leased was new demand, confirming companies' interest in further expanding their logistics and industrial base, despite local and global macroeconomic fluctuations and general market consolidation. Demand was strongly concentrated around Bucharest, which remained the main location for tenants and accounted for 75 pct of the total leasing volume in 2025. Timișoara, the country's second-largest logistics hub, came in second (77,100 sqm). Retail, e-commerce, and FMCG companies were the most active, signing a total of 430,000 sqm, followed by logistics operators (217,000 sqm), and FMCG and courier companies (80,000 sqm).

The continued growth in demand translated into a slight decline in the vacancy rate nationwide to 5.3 pct, and in Bucharest to 4.7 pct. A total of 417,000 sqm of vacant industrial and logistics space remains on the market, of which 180,000 sqm is located in the Bucharest region. Industrial and logistics space in Romania is expected to reach approximately 8.3 mln sqm by the end of this year. Nearly half of the total supply will be concentrated in the Bucharest-Ilfov region, which will also account for over 70 pct of the new deliveries announced for this year.

Developers have announced the completion of around 350,000 sqm of new logistics and industrial parks in 2026 – a volume similar to that of 2025. The largest amount of space will be built in the Bucharest-Ilfov region (260,000 sqm), followed by the Central region (49,000 sqm) and the Northeast (20,000 sqm).

In 2025, new projects with a total area of ​​332,000 sqm were completed, a 42 pct year-on-year decline. This was primarily due to a slowdown in speculative investments. As a result, at the end of last year, total market stock reached 7.9 mln sqm, of which 48 pct was located in Bucharest, 15 pct in the Western region (Timișoara, Arad, Deva, Caransebeș), and 12 pct. in the South Muntenia region (Pitești, Ploiești), 9.4 pct in the Central region (Brașov, Sibiu, Târgu Mureș, Alba Iulia), and 8.6% in the Northwest (Cluj-Napoca, Oradea, Baia Mare).

In Moldova, although regional stock has grown by 29 pct over the past three years – the second-highest growth rate among the eight regions, supported by the development of transport infrastructure – the market remains one of the least developed in the country, with a share of only 2.7 pct of the national stock.

Romania is the third-largest industrial and logistics market in Central and Eastern Europe, following Poland – the regional leader with 36.4 mln sqm – and the Czech Republic with 13.2 mln sqm.

The evolution of recent years confirms the maturity of the local logistics and industrial market, one of the most dynamic in the region. Infrastructure projects like the A0 and A8 motorways are redirecting logistics flows and fostering the emergence of new regional hubs, with Ștefănești north of Bucharest and the cities of Iași and Bacău in Moldova being prime examples. At the same time, we are seeing increasing consolidation, as companies strive to optimise supply chains, reduce costs, and shorten delivery times. The balance between new demand and contract renegotiations reflects mature market behaviour, with logistics, distribution, retail, and e-commerce operators remaining the main drivers of activity. Interviews with potential investors also indicate that Romania is no longer perceived as a low-cost labour market for low-skilled manufacturing, but as a country capable of supporting more advanced, high-value-added manufacturing, which is driving demand for modern, well-connected, and sustainable industrial space
Ștefan Surcel, head of industrial at Cushman & Wakefield Echinox

Prime monthly rents in Bucharest and in the country's main logistics and industrial hubs remained stable, typically ranging between EUR 4.30 and EUR 4.75 per sqm, including Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Timișoara, Brașov, Ploiești, Pitești, and Sibiu. Slight rent increases are possible in the coming quarters due to rising construction costs and land prices in all key locations in Romania.

Romania currently offers the most competitive rental costs for industrial and logistics space in Central and Eastern Europe. The countries with which Romania most frequently competes for investment offer rents that are as much as 60 pct higher, such as in the Czech Republic. Prime rents in Hungary are around EUR 5.7 per sqm, EUR 7.5 per sqm in the Czech Republic, and EUR 5.75 per sqm in Poland.