Romania's adult financial inclusion rate has advanced to 71 percent from 68 percent two years ago, reveals the market survey "The Romanians' perception of the banking system: lending and the Romanians' financial inclusion", conducted by the Romanian Institute for Evaluation and Strategy (IRES) and commissioned by the Romanian Banks Association (ARB).According to the survey, approximately 77 percent of men use banking products and services, compared to just 66 percent of women. Also, 97 percent of the higher education population own at least current bank accounts.According to an ARB release, the share of Romanians with no current account is highest among people with low education, low incomes, or over 65 years of age, despite the basic current account being free of charge. By residence, 82 percent of the urban population owns banking products and services, compared to 60 percent of rural adults.Among the top reasons why people do not own a current account, 37 percent of the respondents mentioned too little income, 20 percent said they are paid in cash, 18 percent reported that all payments are made in cash, and 7 percent do not consider it useful. Approximately 70 percent of the respondents with bank accounts say they use debit cards. The credit card is used by 25 percent of the respondents to the survey.The survey was conducted between June and July 2024 at the commission of the Romanian Banks Association on a sample of 1,320 individual respondents, of whom 1,067 are users of banking products, and carries a maximum error margin of +/-2.75%.
Romania’s General Prosecutor’s Office announced the reclassification of the charges brought against former presidential candidate Călin Georgescu from instigator to accomplice in the “commission of actions against the constitutional order.” The statement published Monday, August 4, by the General Prosecutor’s Office does not name Georgescu directly, but refers both to the case in which the […]
Roughly 130,000 cartridges prepared for delivery were destroyed after a fire broke out at a warehouse part of the Cugir Mechanical Plant, in central Romania, on Saturday, August 2. No victims were reported, and an investigation is currently ongoing. The fire started around 2 AM, initially over an area of 300 square meters, which later […]
Uber and Bolt, the two alternative transportation platforms that dominate the Romanian market, have together registered over 100,000 affiliated drivers by the end of May 2025, according to official data from the Romanian Road Authority (ARR) reported at the request of Ziarul Financiar. The drivers who...
Romania’s president Nicuşor Dan signed 96 decrees approving the retirement of magistrates on August 1, with most leaving the judiciary immediately and the remainder scheduled to retire on September 1, Cursdeguvernare.ro reported. Among those stepping down is Corina Corbu, President of the High Court of Cassation and Justice (ICCJ). The wave of retirements...
The number of new cars registered in Romania dropped by 16.4% y/y to 80,718 in January-July despite a 25.3% y/y rise to 16,362 units in July, according to data published by the Romanian Car Manufacturing Association ACAROM. The lack of state grants for new car purchase, promised by the Ministry of Environment for December, certainly contributed […]
Raiffeisen Bank has cut its projection for Romania’s economic growth in 2025 to 0.7%, citing the impact of a challenging global trading environment and slowing international demand, the Austrian lender said in its semi-annual report. The bank now expects Romania’s gross domestic product (GDP) to grow by 1.3% in 2026,
