According to Eurostat, GDP per inhabitant in Bucharest-Ilfov was 188% of the EU average in PPS, 7th of 244 regions.
In 2023, disposable income per inhabitant in the region was about 136% of the EU average, against GDP per inhabitant of 181%.
GDP is recorded where people work. So in 2024 the city of Bucharest stood at 227% of the EU average, and Ilfov, many of whose residents work in the city, at 73%.
Bucharest-Ilfov GDP per capita: the short answer
According to Eurostat, GDP per inhabitant in the Bucharest-Ilfov region was 188% of the EU average in 2024, measured in purchasing power standards (PPS). That puts it 7th of the EU's 244 regions, ahead of Budapest, Warsaw, Vienna and the Paris region. In 2014 the figure was 126%.
But it is an easy number to misread. It measures the output produced in the region, divided by the number of people who live there. It does not measure how much money ends up in a resident's pocket. According to Eurostat, household disposable income in the region was about 136% of the EU average in 2023, against GDP per inhabitant of 181% in the same year.
Put simply: Bucharest-Ilfov is one of the most productive regions in the EU. Its residents are better off than the European average, but not nearly twice as well off, as the headline suggests.
The numbers: Bucharest against the rest of Romania
| Region | 2014 | 2019 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bucharest-Ilfov | 126% | 158% | 188% |
| Romania as a whole | 55% | 69% | 77% |
| West (Timișoara) | 56% | 70% | 78% |
| North-West (Cluj) | 49% | 64% | 71% |
| North-East (Iași) | 34% | 44% | 48% |
Source: Eurostat, table nama_10r_2gdp, GDP per inhabitant in PPS as a percentage of the EU average (100%). Updated 10 February 2026.
In money terms: in 2024 GDP per inhabitant in the region was 75,000 PPS, against 39,900 for the EU average. At current prices in euros it was €45,200 per inhabitant, against an EU average of €39,900.
According to Eurostat, Bucharest-Ilfov's real GDP grew by 33.0% between 2019 and 2024, one of the fastest rates in the EU outside Ireland.
Bucharest against other EU capital regions
| Capital region | 2024, % of EU average |
|---|---|
| Prague | 192% |
| Brussels | 190% |
| Bucharest-Ilfov | 188% |
| Copenhagen (Hovedstaden) | 175% |
| Budapest | 168% |
| Paris region (Île-de-France) | 160% |
| Warsaw region | 157% |
| Bratislava | 153% |
| Vienna | 137% |
| Vilnius region | 133% |
| Zagreb | 131% |
| Greater Lisbon | 129% |
| Berlin | 127% |
| Madrid | 125% |
| Sofia region (Yugozapaden) | 107% |
| Athens region (Attiki) | 96% |
Source: Eurostat, nama_10r_2gdp, 2024. The Dublin region (268%) and Luxembourg (245%) top the list, but there the figures are heavily influenced by multinational companies, as Eurostat itself notes.
According to Eurostat, 19 EU regions had GDP per inhabitant at least 50% above the EU average in 2024, and 11 of them were capital regions. Capitals are richer than the rest of the country almost everywhere. What stands out in Romania is the gap: the capital region at 188%, the country as a whole at 77%.
What the figure does not say: four caveats
1. GDP is recorded where people work, not where they live. Eurostat explains that part of the income generated in "wealthy" regions may be attributed to labour input from commuters. Many people who live outside Bucharest work there, and their output is recorded in the city, but they are not counted among its residents.
2. The gap between the city and Ilfov shows this. At county level, according to Eurostat, GDP per inhabitant in 2024 was 227% of the EU average in the city of Bucharest, and only 73% in Ilfov. That does not mean Ilfov's residents are poor. It means many of them work in the city, and that is where their output is recorded.
3. GDP is not income. GDP also includes company profits, depreciation and investment. What reaches households is measured separately, as net disposable income. In 2023, according to Eurostat, disposable income per inhabitant in the region was 28,500 PPS, against an EU average of 21,000: about 136%. For Romania as a whole it was 15,100, about 72%.
Its residents are better off than the European average, but not nearly twice as well off, as the headline suggests.
4. PPS correct for price differences between countries. According to Eurostat, PPS remove differences in price levels between countries. They do not measure separately how much more expensive Bucharest is than the rest of Romania, for example for housing. We covered the city's costs in our article on the cost of living in Bucharest.
What the figure does say
Even after the caveats, the picture is clear: Bucharest-Ilfov is Romania's economic engine, and it has grown especially fast over the past decade. Jobs, company head offices, universities and services are concentrated here. That is why people move to the region, as we described in our article on Ilfov County's growth.
For housing demand, this means two things. First, incomes above the Romanian average help explain why prices in the capital are higher than in the rest of the country. Second, the gap between output and income is a reminder that prices have to fit what residents earn, not a headline about GDP. We compared prices with other capitals in our article on Bucharest vs Budapest and Prague.
Four years in numbers
The latest jump has been particularly fast. Here are the last four years Eurostat has published:
| Year | % of EU average (PPS) | Euros per inhabitant, current prices |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 168% | 29,500 |
| 2022 | 174% | 35,900 |
| 2023 | 181% | 40,800 |
| 2024 | 188% | 45,200 |
Look at the euro column. It is at current prices, so it includes both inflation and the leu-euro exchange rate. The percentage of the EU average is the cleaner comparison, because it measures the region's position relative to the rest of Europe in the same year.
One more note: these figures are for 2024. Since then, according to the National Bank of Romania, the economy barely grew in the first half of 2026. One year's figure does not tell you where the next year will go.
How to read a figure like this yourself: 5 steps
- Check what is being measured. GDP per inhabitant? Disposable income? Average wage? These are three different numbers.
- Check the unit. A percentage of the EU average in PPS, or euros at current prices? The two can be far apart.
- Check the year. Eurostat's regional data come out more than a year after the fact. The latest available today is for 2024.
- Compare region with region, not region with country. A capital will always look good against a whole country. Compare it with other capitals.
- Check household income too. Eurostat table nama_10r_2hhinc gives the picture from the residents' side.
We also collected the key figures on the city in our article on Bucharest in numbers.
Frequently asked questions
What is GDP per capita in Bucharest?
According to Eurostat, in 2024 GDP per inhabitant in the Bucharest-Ilfov region was 75,000 PPS, 188% of the EU average. At current prices it was €45,200 per inhabitant. In the city of Bucharest itself it was 227% of the average.
Is Bucharest richer than Vienna or Paris?
On GDP per inhabitant in PPS, yes: 188% against 137% for Vienna and 160% for the Paris region in 2024. But the measure is affected by commuters and only corrects for price differences between countries. On household disposable income, and in euros, the picture is different.
Why is GDP per capita in Ilfov so low?
Because GDP is recorded at the place of work. Many Ilfov residents work in Bucharest, and their output is recorded in the city. That is why, according to Eurostat, the city stood at 227% and Ilfov at 73% of the EU average in 2024.
What is the difference between GDP per capita and income?
GDP includes everything produced in the region, including company profits. Disposable income is what reaches households after taxes and transfers. In Bucharest-Ilfov in 2023, GDP per inhabitant was 181% of the EU average and disposable income about 136%.
Does this figure predict property prices?
No. It explains part of the background, such as why prices in the capital are higher than in the rest of Romania, but prices also depend on interest rates, supply and credit.
The bottom line
188% of the EU average is a real number, and it shows how fast Romania's capital region has moved forward. But it measures output, not a resident's income. It is boosted by people who commute into the city and by company head offices. Household disposable income, about 136% of the EU average, is a more modest number, and still a high one.
When you read a headline like this, ask exactly what is being measured, in which unit and for which year.
If you would like to go through the figures for the region together before deciding, book a half-hour call with me.
Moti Azulay, Compass Group Romania
Sources: Eurostat: regional GDP by NUTS2 (nama_10r_2gdp) · Eurostat: regional GDP by NUTS3 (nama_10r_3gdp) · Eurostat: regional household income (nama_10r_2hhinc) · Eurostat: Economy at regional level · BNR: minutes of the monetary policy meeting of 8.10.2026
This article is general information only and is not legal, tax or financial advice. Figures are current as of 22 October 2026. Eurostat data are revised from time to time.
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This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult local professionals before any transaction.
