Romania ranks 32nd out of 42 European countries in purchasing power in 2026, down one position from last year, with an average of EUR 11,283 per capita, compared with the European average of EUR 21,153, according to the NIQ Purchasing Power Europe 2026 study released on Wednesday. Bucharest remains the country’s wealthiest area, with purchasing power more than twice the national average.
Europeans are expected to have approximately EUR 14.5 trillion in total purchasing power in 2026, equivalent to an average of EUR 21,153 per person. This represents a nominal increase of 4.4% compared with the revised figure for 2025, although substantial disparities persist across the 42 countries surveyed.
Liechtenstein tops the ranking with EUR 78,520 per capita, or 3.7 times the European average, followed by Switzerland (EUR 54,730) and Iceland (EUR 44,692). Norway recorded the largest improvement among the top ten countries, climbing from tenth to fifth place, with EUR 35,947 per capita.
Elsewhere, Hungary rose three positions to 27th, reaching EUR 15,105 per capita, while the Czech Republic moved up to 21st, with EUR 17,785. Overall, 17 countries exceed the European average, while 25 fall below it. Ukraine remains at the bottom of the ranking, with purchasing power of EUR 3,456 per person, approximately 16% of the European average.
“With growth of 4.4%, purchasing power in Europe continues to advance visibly in 2026. It is noteworthy that many Central and South-Eastern European markets continue to develop more dynamically than much of Western Europe. At the same time, mature Western European markets remain among Europe’s most important consumer markets due to their high purchasing power and size. Although purchasing power disparities between European countries are gradually narrowing, market potential continues to vary significantly across the continent,” said Raluca Mănărcescu, NIQ Geomarketing expert.
Bucharest’s purchasing power exceeds European average
Regional disparities are particularly pronounced in Romania. While national purchasing power averages EUR 11,283 per capita, Bucharest reaches EUR 22,941, making it the only Romanian administrative area above the European average of EUR 21,153.
The capital has a European purchasing power index of 108.5 and a national index of 203.3, indicating that its residents have more than twice the purchasing power of the average Romanian.
Only nine Romanian counties, including Bucharest, record purchasing power above the national average. Alba, ranked tenth, falls slightly below it, with a national index of 99.3.
At the opposite end of the ranking, Giurgiu has the country’s lowest purchasing power, at EUR 5,816 per capita. The gap between Bucharest and Giurgiu amounts to approximately EUR 17,100 per person, meaning residents of the capital have almost four times the purchasing power of those in Giurgiu.
The concentration of purchasing power in capital regions is also evident elsewhere in Europe. Paris exceeds the French national average by approximately 80%, with EUR 46,366 per capita, while Bratislava, Sofia, Prague, Budapest, and Lisbon are at least 25% above their respective national averages.
There are exceptions, however. Berlin’s purchasing power of EUR 30,178 per capita is below Germany’s national average of EUR 31,193, while Brussels is approximately 10% below the Belgian average.
Europe’s largest metropolitan consumer markets
In terms of total purchasing power, France’s Île-de-France region leads Europe with approximately EUR 396 billion, followed by Italy’s Lombardy region with EUR 272 billion and metropolitan Istanbul with EUR 227 billion.
While Île-de-France and Lombardy combine large populations with purchasing power exceeding EUR 25,000 per capita, Istanbul achieves comparable overall market potential primarily through its population size, despite a lower per capita figure of EUR 14,411.
About the study
The NIQ Purchasing Power Europe 2026 study covers 42 European countries and provides detailed regional data, including at municipality and postcode level.
Purchasing power is defined as disposable income after taxes and mandatory contributions, including government benefits. It represents the amount available for consumption, housing, services, energy, savings, insurance, and other expenditure.
The figures are expressed in nominal terms and are not adjusted for inflation or differences in living costs. The calculations draw on reported income, government benefit statistics, and economic forecasts from research institutes.
