January 2026

Romania adopts new law on payments of private pensions

Romania’s newly passed Law 2/2026 on Payment of Private Pensions was published in the Official Gazette of Romania. This law, which will enter into force one year after its publication. provides a mechanism for payment of private pensions aligned with international standards and brings Romania closer to its goal of membership in the OECD. Context for the adoption of Law 2/2026 In June 2024, the OECD's Working Party on Private Pensions welcomed parts of Romania's private pension system but issued a...

November 2025

Romania unveils draft law to cap magistrates’ pensions

The Romanian government published a draft law on Wednesday to cap magistrates' pensions at 70 percent of their final net salary and to gradually raise their retirement age to 65 over 15 years starting from Jan. 1, 2026. The proposal has been released for public consultation as part of a transparency procedure. The Ministries of Labour and Justice put forward the bill, saying that it aims to "bring more sustainability and fairness" to the special pension system for judges and...

August 2025

Roughly 60% of employees in Romania worried about job stability until retirement, report shows

The most recent study conducted by Raiffeisen Bank in partnership with Appinio shows that 6 out of 10 Romanian employees are worried about job stability until retirement, with concern being higher among women and people over 40 years old. The labor market in Romania remains one where age can be both an advantage and an obstacle. Many employees feel the effect of age on employment opportunities. The risk of being dismissed for this reason is mentioned by 2 out of...

Romania proposes pension reforms as it moves to join OECD

Romanians will be limited to withdrawing a quarter of their private pension funds upon retirement and will receive the rest in monthly payments under a draft reform of the system unveiled on Friday that aims to boost the country's OECD candidacy. The EU member state overhauled its communist-era pension system in 2008, making it compulsory for working Romanians under 35 to contribute to a so-called "second pillar" of private pension schemes in addition to their state pension. Under the scheme, more...

January 2025

Romanian private pension fund assets jump 19% in 2024 on year

Assets held by Romania's seven mandatory private pension funds jumped 19% on the year to 150.85 billion lei ($31.15 billion) in 2024, with the average yield at 5.74%, slightly above the 5.1% annual inflation rate, the industry association said on Tuesday. The European Union member state overhauled its communist-era pension system in 2008, making it compulsory for working Romanians under 35 to contribute to a "second pillar" of private pension schemes as well as their state pension. Roughly 8.3 million Romanians...

November 2024

Romania’s Govt. announces 12.1% hike in pensions as of January

Pensions in Romania will increase with the hike in the reference point value (VPR), rising by 12.1%  from RON 81 currently to RON 91 after January 1, 2025, the Ministry of Labor announced on November 20 on its Facebook page. "The 12.1% increase in the VPR is above the inflation rate.  The new Pension Law is a firm guarantee that every pensioner will benefit from a sustainable increase in income," said the minister of labor and social solidarity, Simona Bucura Oprescu,...

January 2024

Romanian private pension funds’ assets up 31.4% y/y in 2023

Assets held by Romania's seven mandatory private pension funds in 2023 rose 31.4% to 126.7 billion lei ($27.87 billion) while the average yield climbed to a record high 17.94%, the industry's association said on Monday. The European Union member state overhauled its communist-era pension system in 2008, making it compulsory for working Romanians under 35 to contribute to a "second pillar" of private pension schemes as well as their state pension. Roughly 8.1 million Romanians contribute to the seven funds, which...

November 2023

Romania Pension Law Could Pose Medium-Term Fiscal Risk

Romania’s new pension law could result in a less favourable sovereign debt trajectory and weaken fiscal credibility over the medium term if implemented as planned and without offsetting measures, Fitch Ratings says. The eventual impact will depend on the broader direction of fiscal policy, including efforts to exit the ongoing Excessive Deficit Procedure. The new law, which received parliamentary approval on 20 November, is intended to remove inconsistencies in how state pensions are calculated as part of efforts to improve...

Romania’s Senate endorses 40% pension hike as of September 2024

Romania’s Senate passed on November 14 the government’s draft law on the public pension system, according to which the pensions of over 4.7 million beneficiaries are to be recalculated according to a new formula, Bursa.ro reported. The project will also be debated by the Chamber of Deputies, the decision-making body in this case. The pensions will increase on average by 40% when the updated pensions are first disbursed in September 2024, according to estimates of the bill’s author, the Labour Ministry. The...

August 2023

Romanian Constitutional Court sends law altering special pensions back to Parliament

The Constitutional Court of Romania discussed on Wednesday, August 2, the changes made in Parliament to the Law on special pensions, deciding to return it to the legislative for modifications. On June 29, the High Court of Cassation and Justice referred the Law amending and supplementing certain normative acts in the field of service pensions, as well as the normative act on raising the retirement age, to the Constitutional Court. The project in question brought changes to the special pensions for...