Germany is the biggest foreign direct investor in Romania, with investments worth EUR 13.1 billion, or 14.9% of FDI stock, at the end of 2019, according to the ranking by end-beneficiary compiled by Romania's National Bank (BNR) and National Statistics Institute (INS).

BNR's new foreign direct investment (FDI) ranking thus takes into account the country of origin of the real investor, compared to the origin of the latest intermediary (investment vehicle) in previous years.

The ranking based on the old methodology indicated the Netherlands as the biggest foreign investor in Romania, with EUR 20.5 bln at the end of 2019.

However, the new ranking shows that 75% of this sum represents foreign investments made in Romania by companies from other countries using investment vehicles registered in the Netherlands.

Most foreign investments that have so far been counted as Dutch (because of the intermediary vehicle) are, in fact, American, according to the new data published by BNR. Under the revised ranking, the USA ranks as the fifth-biggest investor in Romania, with an FDI stock of EUR 5.8 bln. The US was only 16th based on the old methodology, with a value of EUR 0.9 bln.

Austria is the second-biggest foreign investor in Romania, with EUR 10 bln invested in the country, followed by France (EUR 8.27 bln), and Italy (EUR 7.47 bln). The Netherlands is sixth, with EUR 5.5 bln, and the UK is seventh, with EUR 3.9 bln.

Surprisingly, the eighth-biggest foreign investor in Romania is Romania, as local investors hold stakes worth about EUR 2.9 bln in local companies through investment vehicles registered in other countries.

(Photo: Ruletkka | Dreamstime.com)

andrei@romania-insider.com