Romania’s industrial and logistics sector recorded strong growth in the first three quarters of 2025, driven by high activity levels in the Bucharest area. Total leasing demand reached almost 640,000 square metres between January and September – up 64% compared to the same period last year – according to Colliers data, which includes only public transactions.
Bucharest and its surrounding areas generated nearly 70% of all deals and helped support a potentially record-breaking year for the local logistics market. At the same time, the north-eastern and south-eastern regions posted the highest growth rates – albeit coming from low base levels, supported by infrastructure developments and expanding investments in manufacturing and logistics services.
“In 2025, the market has changed significantly compared to previous years – companies have once again turned their attention to the Bucharest-Ilfov region, following a period when interest had shifted towards other parts of the country. However, we see this as an exception rather than a new rule. In the medium and long term, we expect other regions of Romania to continue to grow at a faster pace, thanks to the better workforce availability, lower costs and new infrastructure projects that are making them increasingly attractive”, explains Victor Coșconel, Partner | Head of Leasing | Office & Industrial Agencies at Colliers.
In the first nine months of 2025, leasing contracts were signed for nearly 450,000 square metres of logistics and industrial space in Bucharest and its surrounding areas – 62% above the average of the past five years and more than double the pre-pandemic level (2017-2019). Meanwhile, although of a smaller scale and coming from quite subdued activity levels, the most substantial increases were seen in north-eastern Romania (up 211% compared to the past 5 years’ average) and in the south-east (up 143%), driven by the construction of the A7 motorway and anticipated infrastructure investments.
Nationwide, total demand for industrial space rose by almost two-thirds, reaching nearly 640,000 square metres. The logistics (3PL) sector dominated the market, generating around 45% of total demand, followed by retail/FMCG. In reality, many logistics operators work for major retailers, which shows that most transactions remain fuelled by domestic consumption, Colliers consultants highlight. Leasing for manufacturing purposes dipped in 2025 (around 13% of the total area that was rented, around half the average seen in recent years). Nevertheless, Colliers still sees strong underlying interest from companies targeting Romania for new manufacturing operations, with a noteworthy increase in enquiries from Asian companies.
At a European level, Eurostat data shows that warehouses and logistics centres in Romania currently have an occupancy rate of around 90%, slightly above the EU average, suggesting that operators can continue to expand without creating imbalances in the market. Romania currently offers about 8 million square metres of modern logistics space, and according to Colliers estimates, this figure could even double to reach the levels seen in other countries across the region.
In relation to population, Romania has nearly 420 square metres of modern logistics space per 1,000 inhabitants – significantly below Poland (973 sqm), Hungary (617 sqm) and well behind the regional leader, the Czech Republic, with 1,165 sqm per 1,000 inhabitants. In other words, even when factoring in export volumes, Romania still has considerable growth potential in the modern warehousing segment.
“If we look at how much retailers have expanded in recent years and at the increasingly ambitious plans of brands on the market, it is clear that demand for storage space will remain very strong in the period ahead. Moreover, the new motorways, along with the expected investments in the railway transport network, will open up entirely new areas of interest for both tenants and developers. In our view, the industrial sector remains the real estate segment with the highest growth potential in Romania”, concludes Victor Coșconel, Partner | Head of Leasing | Office & Industrial Agencies at Colliers.
