When looking at economic relations in Europe, the partnership between Romania and Hungary certainly deserves our full attention.
The two countries, united by a 448 km common border and historical, economic and cultural ties, have developed a framework of economic cooperation based on geographical proximity, interdependence, bilateral investments, entrepreneurship, regional collaborations, as well as on their common membership of the European Union and, more recently, of the Schengen Area.
Mutual business interest
Romanian investments in Hungary and Hungarian investments in Romania show the mutual interest in investment. As we can see, there is a difference in the number of companies, influenced by factors such as the size of the economy, fiscal policies, expansion capacity or diaspora.
In Romania there are more than 15,000 companies with Hungarian capital, showing the interest of Hungarian investors in the Romanian market due to its size and geographical proximity. The Hungarian community in Romania is also a facilitator of these investments and collaboration.
On the other hand, there are about 7,000 companies with Romanian capital in Hungary, which shows the mutual interest for investments. Almost one fifth of the Romanian-owned companies in the EU are in Hungary, eMag, MedLife, AROBS being some successful examples.
- Hungary is Romania's third largest trading partner after Germany and Italy.
- Hungary ranks 11th in the ranking of foreign investors in our country by the amount of capital invested.
Top 5 Hungarian companies present in Romania are: MOL Group (energy), Richter Gedeon (pharma), MVM Group (energy), Wizz Air (transportation), TriGranit (real estate).
Top 5 Romanian companies present in Hungary are: eMAG (online commerce), MedLife (medical services), Teraplast (manufacturing), AROBS (IT&Software), TTS Group (transportation, logistics). The telecom company DIGI has been present in Hungary for 23 years and sold its stake in 2022 (625 million euro) to the 4iG group.
Strategic investment directions
In recent years, Hungary has strengthened its presence in the region through a coherent strategy of investments in sectors with high strategic value. These include energy, transport, tourism and real estate.
In the energy sector, the MOL and MVM groups play an important role in strengthening regional energy services, and in developing green infrastructure. Hungary is investing in production and distribution capacities with a focus on sustainability and diversification of sources, and Romania is increasingly becoming an energy integration partner in the CEE region.
In transportation, the presence of Wizz Air continues to be one of the most visible Hungarian investments, contributing to regional connectivity and the development of the low-cost aviation market. At the same time, infrastructure and logistics companies have started to explore joint expansion opportunities on the Schengen corridor, which facilitates the flow of goods and people.
The tourism sector is represented by the Danubius Group, a major player in the hotel and wellness services area. It marks a constant orientation of Hungarian investors towards the exploitation of spa resources and health tourism - a segment in full development at regional level.
On the real estate market, the Kesz and Granit Real Estate groups confirm the increased interest in developing projects in Romania. The Granit transaction - one of the most important on the Bucharest real estate market - highlights the dynamics of Hungarian capital and the confidence in the potential of the local market.
On the other hand, Romanian companies continue to actively expand in Hungary, confirming the maturing of local entrepreneurship and the trend towards internationalization. eMAG has consolidated its position on the e-commerce market, becoming a regional brand, and MedLife is taking an important step in the health sector, providing excellent premises for cross-border partnerships and investments.
These examples outline a common story of growth and integration: Hungarian companies are investing in energy, infrastructure and real estate - pillars of sustainable development - while Romanian firms are asserting their presence in trade, health and IT, areas with added value and direct impact on quality of life.
The Romanian-Hungarian partnership is expanding towards internationalization and economic complementarity.
Romania - Hungary economic relations in figures:
- In 2024, bilateral trade amounted to €13.3 billion, up slightly (1%) from the previous year.
- Romanian exports to Hungary amounted to €4.92 billion, while imports from Hungary totaled €8.38 billion. Romania exports mainly machinery, electrical equipment, mineral products and vehicles to Hungary, while imports are dominated by similar products, reflecting industrial complementarity. Hungary exports more to Romania than vice versa. This imbalance is not necessarily surprising given the differences in industrial structure, but also in terms of competitiveness.
- Romania's membership of the Schengen Area shows us the first results on the opportunities for economic exchanges: +15.8% bilateral trade in the first quarter after full integration of our country.
Developments in recent years:
Over the last ten years, Romania has had a negative trade balance with Hungary, importing on average €2.5 billion more per year than it exported. The year 2022 marked a record level of bilateral trade (€15 billion), thanks to a combination of factors, including the strong recovery from the COV19 pandemic and solid economic growth in both countries.
Romania-Hungary bilateral trade
Evolution 2015 - 2024
- Exports of machinery and electrical equipment, on the other hand, have been growing steadily, exceeding 25% of total exports in 2024 (€1.25 billion).
- Base metals and derived products remain a stable component, ranking third among the top goods exported to Hungary.
- Minerals, machinery and electrical equipment are among the most important product categories that Romania imports from Hungary, underlining the close ties between the two economies, especially in the industrial and energy sectors.
- Both Romania and Hungary are key suppliers and consumers of these strategic goods. Chemicals are also high on Hungary's import list (€1.3 billion in 2024).
- Bilateral trade has increased remarkably after Romania's full integration into the Schengen Area in January 2025: in the first three months of 2025, bilateral trade grew by 15.8%, reaching around €3.5 billion in March and setting high expectations for future trade relations between the two countries.
Seen as a whole, economic relations between Romania and Hungary are on an upward trend, supported by bilateral investment, the complementarity of industrial sectors and membership of the common European area. The Schengen Area opens up new opportunities in the area of trade, facilitating the free movement of goods and persons, as well as long-term strategic cooperation. As neighbors and partners, Romania and Hungary have the capacity to jointly boost economic prosperity at both national and regional level.
