Romania has seen the fastest increase in road freight volumes in the European Union. In 2023, transport and logistics companies reported almost 29 billion tonne-kilometres carried by road, 69 percent more than ten years ago, the fastest rate in the EU and more than three times the EU average, according to Eurostat data cited by Colliers. The industrial real estate market has also expanded sharply, growing nearly fivefold over the last decade and is set to reach around 8 million square metres in 2025. Even so, the shortage of motorways and modern railways remains a major obstacle to Romania’s logistics development, Colliers specialists note, underscoring the need to continue large-scale infrastructure investments.

”Romania’s nearly 29 billion tonne-kilometres of goods moved by road is close to Hungary’s level, but more than six times lower than Poland’s. In other words, even though Romania has recorded the fastest growth in road goods transport in the European Union, the gap versus regional peer economies remains significant. Relative to the size of the country’s population and economies , the volume should be at least twice that of Hungary’s and about half of Poland’s. To narrow this gap over the next 10–15 years, Romania needs to continue building motorways and modernising the rail network, especially now as the domestic economy is under pressure to act as a counter balance for weakness in other sectors and prepare the next growth period”, explains Victor Coșconel, Partner | Head of Leasing | Office & Industrial Agencies at Colliers.

After years of record motorway openings, the 2025–2026 period is set to bring a slower pace of construction and inaugurations. This deceleration could slow down the logistics space market’s expansion and investments in industrial properties, which have grown strongly in recent years, Colliers warns. At the same time, Eurostat data show that more than 77 percent of goods moved by road in Romania are domestic deliveries, one of the highest shares in the European Union. This reflects, at least in part, Romania’s relatively low level of exports.

There is, however, one area where Romania compares favourably with many other European countries. Out of the quantity of goods transported in Romania, only 54 percent are done by road, below the EU average of 78 percent, according to Eurostat data that cover inland (continental) transport only. By contrast, Romania has a high share of inland waterway transport, especially on the Danube, which accounts for around 20 percent of the country’s total goods transported and is the second-highest in the EU. Colliers notes that this diversification of transport modes is an advantage, but it cannot compensate for the lack of modern infrastructure in key parts of the country. Colliers’ consultants emphasise that while diversification is a strength, it is no substitute for modern infrastructure in the country’s critical regions.

”We are close to the 8 million square metre mark of leasable industrial and logistics space, a remarkable performance if we think back to ten years ago, when the market was expanding at a very slow pace. The spectacular trajectory of the last five years shows that Romania is in an accelerated development cycle, benefiting from a very favourable window that should be fully leveraged, because over the next 5 – 10 years, the context may change, whether in terms of financing conditions or EU funds”, concludes Victor Coșconel.