Real interest rate in Romania
Romania: Real interest rate was 0.3% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Real interest rate in Romania, 1993–2025
Source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, real interest rate in Romania stood at 0.3%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 139.1% on the previous year and down 91.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, real interest rate in Romania peaked at 12.7% in 2009 and was at its lowest, -43.1%, in 1993.
Romania ranks 122nd of 149 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Real interest rate in Romania, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | -43.1% | — |
| 1994 | -20.3% | -52.7% |
| 1995 | 4.7% | -123.2% |
| 1996 | 7.7% | +64.0% |
| 1997 | -26.7% | -445.3% |
| 1998 | 4.8% | -118.2% |
| 1999 | 10.8% | +122.4% |
| 2000 | 7.5% | -30.9% |
| 2001 | 5.4% | -27.6% |
| 2002 | 10.4% | +92.0% |
| 2003 | 1.9% | -82.1% |
| 2004 | 8.8% | +374.8% |
| 2005 | 6.8% | -22.9% |
| 2006 | 3.1% | -55.0% |
| 2007 | -2.1% | -169.8% |
| 2008 | -0.9% | -58.5% |
| 2009 | 12.7% | -1531.3% |
| 2010 | 7.7% | -39.3% |
| 2011 | 7.8% | +1.9% |
| 2012 | 7.2% | -7.5% |
| 2013 | 9.0% | +24.3% |
| 2014 | 6.6% | -26.3% |
| 2015 | 3.4% | -48.9% |
| 2016 | 3.0% | -11.3% |
| 2017 | 0.9% | -71.0% |
| 2018 | 0.6% | -32.4% |
| 2019 | 0.2% | -69.2% |
| 2020 | 2.3% | +1156.4% |
| 2021 | 0.0% | -99.6% |
| 2022 | -3.8% | -41679.5% |
| 2023 | -2.7% | -29.6% |
| 2024 | -0.8% | -72.2% |
| 2025 | 0.3% | -139.1% |
Romania compared with similar countries
- Romania's 0.3% is below the median for high income countries, which is 2.7%, 11% of the median. (42 countries reporting)
- Romania's 0.3% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 2.2%, 13% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Real interest rate in Romania changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -41679.5% | 0.0% | -3.8% |
| 2009 | +1531.3% | -0.9% | 12.7% |
| 2020 | +1156.4% | 0.2% | 2.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | -8.9% | -43.1% | 10.8% | 7 |
| 2000s | 5.3% | -2.1% | 12.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.6% | 0.2% | 9.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | -0.8% | -3.8% | 2.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Romania
- 119 Japan 1.0% compare
- 120 North Macedonia 0.8% compare
- 121 Netherlands 0.4% compare
- 123 Sao Tome and Principe 0.1% compare
- 124 Canada 0.1% compare
- 125 Comoros 0.0% compare
More financial sector data for Romania
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, US dollar, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve position in the IMF, SDR, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, US dollar, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, SDR, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Reserve tranche position, SDR, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
- Reserves excluding gold, foreign exchange (SDR), annual growth rate 12.7 % change on previous year (2025)
- Reserves excluding gold, foreign exchange (SDR), per unit of GDP 0.1232 SDR per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is real interest rate in Romania?
- Real interest rate in Romania was 0.3% in 2025, according to International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest real interest rate recorded in Romania?
- The highest recorded value was 12.7% in 2009.
- What is the lowest real interest rate recorded in Romania?
- The lowest recorded value was -43.1% in 1993.
- How does Romania rank for real interest rate?
- Romania ranks 122nd out of 149 countries with data for 2025.
- Is real interest rate rising or falling in Romania?
- Over the last ten years it is down 91.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Romania data come from?
- The figures come from International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Real interest rate (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
An interest rate is the amount charged, expressed as a percentage of the principal over a period of time, by the owners of certain kinds of financial assets for putting the financial assets at the disposal of another institutional unit. The real interest rate is the lending interest rate adjusted for inflation as measured by the GDP deflator. The terms and conditions attached to lending rates differ by country, however, limiting their comparability. This indicator is expressed as a percentage (a÷b)*100.