The Romanians continue to tighten their belts. Consumption fell for the third consecutive month compared to last year. What do the official INS data show?
Consumption increased in March compared to February 2026, but overall it is still lower than last year, according to official information transmitted on Thursday by the National Institute of Statistics (INS).
Consumption increased in March compared to February, but is still lower than last year. Archive photo
Retail trade data shows that in March 2026, consumption had a mixed evolution. Compared to February 2026, the volume of retail trade turnover, excluding sales of motor vehicles and motorcycles, increased significantly, by 18.6% as a raw series and by 2.6% after seasonal adjustment. The increase was mainly supported by the increase in sales of fuels, which advanced strongly, but also by the increase in sales of non-food and food products.
However, compared to the same period last year, the situation is different. In March 2026, retail trade decreased by 2.3% compared to March 2025, respectively by 3.2% in seasonally adjusted series. The declines were mainly driven by reduced sales of non-food and food products, while the only segment that remained on the rise was that of fuels.
Thus, Romania recorded for the third consecutive month a decrease in consumption compared to the first three months of last year, namely by 9.1% in January, 7.6% in February and 2.3% in March 2026.
The negative trend is also observed at the level of the entire quarter. In January-March 2026, the volume of retail trade turnover decreased by 5.8% compared to the first three months of 2025, and after seasonal adjustment the decline was 5.0%. The largest reduction was recorded in sales of non-food products, followed by food products and fuel trade.
Overall, the data indicate that while March saw a rebound from February, consumption remains below last year's level. The development suggests a greater prudence of the population in spending, especially for non-food products, against the backdrop of economic pressures and the high cost of living.
Romanians tightened their belts for two consecutive months, with consumption falling in February by 7.6%, after a 9.1% decline in January compared to the same period last year, according to data from the National Institute of Statistics (INS).
