Romania’s average net wage shrinks by real 6.6% y/y in Q2

13 August 2026 The net average wage increased by 3.4% y/y to RON 5,754 (EUR 1,099) in the second quarter (Q2) this year, losing momentum from 3.9% y/y in Q1 and 7.8% y/y in the same period of 2025, according to data published by the statistics office INS. At the same time, consumer price inflation reached 10.7% y/y in Q2, rising from Q1 and doubling compared to the same period last year. This resulted in the net wages losing their real value by 6.6% y/y in Q2 compared to 5.2% y/y in Q1. The households’ purchasing power has stagnated through the first part of 2025 amid the first package of budgetary measures and deteriorated in mid-2025 after the second package had a significant inflationary impact. In a broader perspective, the average net wage has returned to the level where it was in the