Romania’s Road Freight Outpaces EU Growth, Industrial Space Nears 8 Million sqm

Romania has recorded the fastest growth in road freight transport across the European Union over the past decade, according to Eurostat data cited by Colliers. In 2023, transport and logistics companies carried almost 29 billion tonne-kilometres by road, an increase of 69 percent compared with 2013. By contrast, EU-wide road freight volumes grew by around 20 percent over the same period.

Despite this rapid expansion, Romania’s freight activity remains moderate compared with regional peers. The country’s volumes are broadly in line with Hungary’s, but remain well below Poland’s, which exceeds 170 billion tonne-kilometres annually. Analysts note that the gap reflects not only infrastructure constraints but also differences in export intensity.

The growth of road transport has gone hand in hand with the expansion of Romania’s modern logistics market. The country’s industrial and logistics stock has grown nearly fivefold since 2013. By the end of 2024, leasable space stood at approximately 7.4 million square metres, with current pipelines expected to lift the figure to about 8 million square metres in 2025.

Even with strong supply growth, leasing activity has remained resilient. Take-up in 2024 reached around 620,000 square metres, which was 20 percent lower than the previous year but still well above pre-pandemic averages.

Infrastructure remains the key challenge. Romania has delivered record motorway openings in recent years, but the pace of new projects is set to slow in 2025 and 2026. Colliers warns that this could temper logistics expansion, given the continued shortage of modern motorways and rail links.

While Romania’s logistics market has entered an accelerated development cycle, analysts stress that sustained investment in infrastructure will be critical for narrowing the gap with larger regional economies and supporting the next wave of growth.