EDIT GYENGE & DANIEL POPESCU | November 11, 2024
Over the past 30 years, the average living space per home in Romania has increased significantly, from around 30 square meters to 48 square meters. This marks an improvement in living conditions and a rise in housing standards for Romanians. However, Romania still ranks last in the European Union in this regard. There remains a significant gap between Romania and the rest of Europe when it comes to housing comfort.
Through interactive infographics, we’ll explore how Romania’s real estate landscape has expanded—county by county, town by town, square meter by square meter.
In the counties of Constanța, Timiș, and Brașov, the average home size has grown significantly beyond the national average since 2011. This suggests accelerated economic and urban development following the 2008 financial crisis.
On the other hand, Ilfov County has consistently exceeded the national average since the early 2000s. It has continued to grow steadily, reaching the highest average living space in the country by 2023—75 square meters. This trend highlights the contrast between more developed counties and those still aligning with the national average.
Ilfov’s high ranking is also due to its unique housing structure. Unlike other counties, Ilfov lacks a county capital city, which means most homes are built as standalone houses rather than apartment blocks. Individual houses generally have larger living areas than apartments, making Ilfov’s average home size the largest in the country—even surpassing Bucharest.
Out of Romania’s 41 counties, including Bucharest, fewer than one-third had an average home size exceeding the national average in 2023.
With a few exceptions, the largest average home sizes are found in the towns of Ilfov County, an unofficial extension of Bucharest. In these areas, the average living space typically exceeds 100 square meters, with a record of 143 square meters in Ciorogârla.
In Bucharest, the average home size is 47 square meters—smaller than in many of Romania’s major cities, such as Timișoara (53 sqm), Constanța and Sibiu (both 52 sqm), Cluj-Napoca (51 sqm), and even Oradea (48 sqm). On the other hand, Bucharest residents have larger homes compared to those in Brașov (46 sqm) and Iași (45 sqm).
The consolidated data reveals that in some counties, the average home size in rural areas is well below the national average, despite the county seat being well-developed in this regard.
A striking example is Cluj: in 2023, the county’s average home size was 49.35 square meters. However, only 28% of homes in its rural areas exceeded the national average of 48.81 square meters.
Setting aside economic development, the most extreme case is Călărași County, where only 4% of homes in rural areas have an average size above the national average.
Meanwhile, in Ilfov County, 90% of rural homes exceed the national average. This percentage is also above 50% in economically strong counties like Timiș, Brașov, and Sibiu.
In many counties across the country, the number of building permits issued for residential properties has fluctuated significantly over the years, including in major economic hubs like Cluj, Brașov, Timiș, and Iași. One possible explanation for this variation is the electoral cycle—some local administrations have made it easier to obtain construction permits, while others have imposed stricter regulations.
A comparison between maps from 1990 and 2023 highlights the real estate boom in suburban areas near major cities. Around Bucharest, for example, there has been a sharp increase in housing density per square kilometer in communes such as Chiajna, Popești-Leordeni, Ștefăneștii de Jos, and Glina. Similarly, near Timișoara, housing density has surged in Ghiroda and Ghiroc.
The same trend is visible in Iași County, in localities like Valea Lupului and Miroslava, which are close to the county seat. Likewise, in Cluj County, Baciu and Apahida, near Cluj-Napoca, have experienced a similar expansion.
In Constanța County, this phenomenon is also apparent, as the number of housing units per square kilometer has increased significantly in Năvodari, Mangalia, and Costinești, driven by both residential and tourism-related development.
Historically, regional differences in land registration and parceling in Romania have been influenced by the distinct economic and political structures of its historical provinces.
In Transylvania, where Habsburg influence was strong, the cadastral and parceling process was better organized and systematically applied as early as the 18th century, thanks to agrarian reforms and more efficient administration.
In contrast, in southern regions such as Muntenia and Oltenia, cadastral registration and parceling evolved more slowly, influenced by less centralized agrarian structures and a greater reliance on large landownership.
In recent years, the cadastral and parceling process in Romania has benefited not only from local initiatives but also from European funding, including funds available through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR). These funds have been allocated to accelerate property registration in the Integrated Cadastre and Land Registry System, aiming to support economic development and facilitate access to European funds.
In counties such as Suceava and the southern regions of Romania, investments from the PNRR have enabled the intensification of parceling processes and the clarification of property rights, facilitating agricultural modernization and increasing transparency in real estate transactions. This is important because standardizing and modernizing the cadastral system eliminates regional discrepancies and ensures better land management at the national level.
Data shows that over the past eight years, the number of registered properties has increased significantly in certain regions of the country, particularly in the south (Olt, Teleorman, and Dâmbovița), Moldova (Vaslui and Iași), and Transylvania (Alba and Maramureș).
In terms of percentage growth, the record is held by Cupșeni, a locality in Maramureș County, where the number of registered properties has increased by 88%.
Editor: Andrei Luca Popescu
Articol editat de Andrei Luca Popescu
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