The Romanian banks boasted in 2025 virtually the same record aggregated net profit as in 2024, namely RON 11.6 billion (EUR 2.3 billion, -0.6% y/y) in January-September and RON 6.2 billion (EUR 828 million, -0.3% y/y) in Q3 alone, according to data published by the National Bank of Romania. The non-performing loan (NPL) ratio has advanced slightly to 2.9% at the end of September from 2.8% at the end of June after reaching the past decade’s low of 2.5% over the previous four quarters.
The profitability ratios at the end of September 2025 improved slightly compared to the previous two quarters, but they lag behind the record values reached in 2023-2024. Thus, the return on equity (ROE) reached 18.4% in January-September 2025, down from 20.2% in the same period of 2024 and 21.3% in the first three months of 2023. Similarly, the return on assets (ROA) eased while remaining robust at 1.73% in 2025, from 1.78% in 2024 and 1.91% in 2023.
The volume of banking assets reached RON 907 billion (EUR 179 billion) at the end of September, after it increased by 7.9% y/y.
The banking assets thus eased to 50% of GDP (latest data available) after they advanced slightly slower than the nominal GDP. Out of the total assets, the volume of loans reached RON 444 billion (EUR 87.5 billion) at the end of September, after they increased by 7.5%.
According to data released earlier by the BNR, the volume of new loans extended in 2025 increased particularly in Q1 (+25.7% y/y to RON 45 billion).
Positive, yet single-digit growth ratios were seen in Q2 and Q3, when just over RON 52 billion was issued in new loans in each of the quarters. However, the largest part of the new loans was refinancing: despite new loans of nearly RON 200 billion extended in 12 months to September 2025, the stock of bank loans advanced by only RON 31 billion.
iulian@romania-insider.com
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