The optimism of CEOs in Romania is at its lowest level in five years. At the same time, Romanian companies are expanding into new sectors of activity, gaining market share and planning bolder acquisitions than ever – this is revealed by the local edition of the PwC CEO Survey 2026 report, which was launched last night during an event that also marked the beginning of the 35th anniversary of PwC’s presence in Romania.

Only a quarter of Romanian CEOs expect their companies’ revenues to grow in 2026. This is the lowest percentage in the last 5 years. The majority (57%) of Romanian companies have increased their market share in the last 5 years and expanded into new sectors of activity (52%). Only 12% of Romanian executives say that AI has generated both additional revenues and cost reductions, but almost half (48%) say they have a clear AI strategy.

Read the report here: CEO Survey Romania 2026

“The 2026 edition’s message is clear: in a world where threats accumulate and accelerate, the greatest risk is postponing crucial decisions. Technology’s unprecedented evolution makes predicting the economy a decade from now difficult, but data shows organizations that move, invest, and push beyond traditional boundaries pull ahead of those that stand still. Innovation increasingly separates growing companies from stagnant ones. Globally, half of leaders say innovation is central to their strategy, but few have mechanisms to turn ideas into revenue. In Romania, new products and services already generate significant revenue, indicating a brisk pace of portfolio renewal. But sustaining this pace requires discipline in innovation, not just enthusiasm.”

The perception of company leaders in Romania is apparently paradoxical, but the two trends are actually complementary. The low optimism reflects a maturation of the Romanian business environment. CEOs no longer look to the future with unconditional enthusiasm, but through the prism of a lucid assessment of the economic and fiscal budgetary situation in the country, international geopolitical risks and accelerated digital transformation,” said Daniel Anghel, Country Managing Partner PwC Romania.

“Romania is a key market in Central and Eastern Europe. Romanian CEOs are more cautious than their CEE counterparts regarding the economic outlook, reflecting the more restrictive conditions in the domestic market. However, they demonstrate remarkable ambition and adaptability. More than half of them have entered new industries in recent years, a higher proportion than the regional and global averages,” says Agnieszka Gajewska, CEO-elect of PwC Central and Eastern Europe.

• 43% of CEOs estimate that global economic growth will accelerate in the next 12 months.
• 33% of CEOs forecast increased national economic growth in the coming year.

Romanian CEOs are recalibrating their growth expectations, aligning more with global trends than regional ones. Just 25% of leaders herefeel very or extremely confident about their business growth over the next year—the lowest in five years. Meanwhile, another 25% express little confidence, highlighting a growing divide in outlooks. Looking three years ahead, optimism slightly improves, with 39% confident in growth, though this is a decline from previous studies.

Globally, only 30% of leaders are very or extremely confident in next year’s growth, marking a five-year low. Over three years, confidence in revenue growth climbs to 49%, yet remains below the 2025 figure of 53%.

In Central and Eastern Europe, the trend flips: 42% of leaders are confident in 12-month growth (up from 39% in 2025), but only 39% maintain this confidence over three years (down from 47% last year).

The drop in 12-month confidence to a five-year low, alongside declining three-year confidence, suggests Romanian business leaders foresee a challenging environment, characterized by volatility, demand and cost pressures, and fiscal and regulatory uncertainties.