Economy, jobs and prices in Satu Mare (Nord-Vest, Romania): official figures
GDP per person was 20,700 purchasing power standards (PPS) in 2024, 52% of the EU average (77% for Romania); 27th highest of 42 counties in Romania.
How big is the economy of Satu Mare?
The local economy produced €4.1 billion of output (GDP) in 2024.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people work in Satu Mare?
About 146,640 people worked in Satu Mare in 2024 (employment by place of work).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the unemployment rate in Satu Mare?
Satu Mare had 5,538 registered unemployed people at the end of August 2026, a registered unemployment rate of 4.31% against 3.26% for Romania; this was 17th highest of 42 counties (Bucharest counted as one).
Source: Agenția Națională pentru Ocuparea Forței de Muncă (ANOFM) · saved copyIs unemployment rising in Satu Mare?
Registered unemployment in Satu Mare was 4.77% at the end of August 2025 with 6,117 people on the register, so over the year the rate fell by 0.46 percentage points and the count fell by 579 (ANOFM computes the 2026 rate on the active population at 1 January 2025 and the 2025 rate on that at 1 January 2024).
Source: Agenția Națională pentru Ocuparea Forței de Muncă (ANOFM) · saved copyHow many young people are unemployed in Satu Mare?
Young people under 25 were 12.3% of the registered unemployed in Satu Mare in August 2026 (679 people), while those over 55 were 17.1%. Across Romania under-25s were 11.3% of the register.
Source: Agenția Națională pentru Ocuparea Forței de Muncă (ANOFM) · saved copyWhat is the average salary in Satu Mare?
Employers in Satu Mare county declared an average gross wage of 6,018 lei a month in July 2026 (16th lowest of 42 counties), compared with a national average of 7,649 lei.
Source: Casa Națională de Pensii Publice (CNPP) · saved copyHow many employers are there in Satu Mare?
8,079 employers in Satu Mare filed social insurance returns for July 2026, covering 82,148 insured people, an average of 10.2 insured per employer (10.7 nationally). The county accounts for 1.3% of Romania's insured workforce.
Source: Casa Națională de Pensii Publice (CNPP) · saved copyWhat is the main industry in Satu Mare?
The largest part of the economy of Satu Mare in 2024 was industry (manufacturing, mining and energy), at 25.1% of gross value added, followed by trade, transport, hospitality and communications (22.8%).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow industrial is Satu Mare?
Industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) made up 25.1% of output in 2024, against 19.1% for Romania.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow fast is the economy of Satu Mare growing?
Gross value added rose from €1.7 billion in 2015 to €3.7 billion in 2024 in current prices, an increase of 119% before inflation.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyAre jobs growing in Satu Mare?
The number of people working in Satu Mare fell by 4.6% between 2015 and 2024, to 146,640.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyMore figures
- Women made up 50.5% of the registered unemployed in Satu Mare in August 2026; the female unemployment rate was 4.64% and the male rate 4.02%. Source: Agenția Națională pentru Ocuparea Forței de Muncă (ANOFM) · saved copy
- 372 of the registered unemployed in Satu Mare were long-term unemployed in August 2026 (out of work for more than 12 months, or more than 6 months for those under 25), 6.7% of the total against 38.9% nationally; 8th lowest of 42 counties. Source: Agenția Națională pentru Ocuparea Forței de Muncă (ANOFM) · saved copy
- 53.2% of the unemployed on the register in Satu Mare county had at most primary schooling or no schooling at all in August 2026 (28.5% nationally), and 90 had a university degree. Source: Agenția Națională pentru Ocuparea Forței de Muncă (ANOFM) · saved copy
How Satu Mare compares with other counties in Romania
Registered unemployment rate, 31 August 2026 (%) (August 2026)
Satu Mare ranks 17 of 42, highest first. Registered unemployed as a share of the civilian active population at 1 January 2025 (ANOFM).
| Rank | Area | Registered unemployment rate, 31 August 2026 (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 14 | Hunedoara | 5.34% |
| 15 | Harghita | 4.79% |
| 16 | Gorj | 4.38% |
| 17 | Satu Mare | 4.31% |
| 18 | Argeş | 4.30% |
| 19 | Dâmboviţa | 4.12% |
| 20 | Tulcea | 4.05% |
Average gross monthly wage, July 2026 (lei) (July 2026)
Satu Mare ranks 27 of 42, highest first. From employer D112 returns; workers are counted where their employer is registered, which lifts Bucharest.
| Rank | Area | Average gross monthly wage, July 2026 (lei) |
|---|---|---|
| 24 | Dâmboviţa | 6,072 lei |
| 25 | Sălaj | 6,044 lei |
| 26 | Vaslui | 6,044 lei |
| 27 | Satu Mare | 6,018 lei |
| 28 | Bihor | 6,010 lei |
| 29 | Giurgiu | 5,955 lei |
| 30 | Harghita | 5,947 lei |
Long-term unemployed, share of registered unemployed, August 2026 (%) (August 2026)
Satu Mare ranks 35 of 42, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Long-term unemployed, share of registered unemployed, August 2026 (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 32 | Tulcea | 12.9% |
| 33 | Giurgiu | 12.7% |
| 34 | Botoşani | 10.6% |
| 35 | Satu Mare | 6.7% |
| 36 | Gorj | 5.3% |
| 37 | Prahova | 4.7% |
| 38 | Mureş | 2.9% |
Change in registered unemployment rate, August 2025 to August 2026 (percentage points) (2025-2026)
Satu Mare ranks 40 of 42, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Change in registered unemployment rate, August 2025 to August 2026 (percentage points) |
|---|---|---|
| 36 | Bucureşti | -0.15 |
| 37 | Suceava | -0.15 |
| 38 | Buzău | -0.21 |
| 39 | Harghita | -0.28 |
| 40 | Satu Mare | -0.46 |
| 41 | Mehedinţi | -0.62 |
| 42 | Teleorman | -0.66 |
Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) (2024)
Satu Mare ranks 12 of 42, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Dâmboviţa | 26.0% |
| 10 | Olt | 25.3% |
| 11 | Constanţa | 25.2% |
| 12 | Satu Mare | 25.1% |
| 13 | Dolj | 24.9% |
| 14 | Sălaj | 24.7% |
| 15 | Buzău | 24.3% |
Share of output from finance, property and business services (2024)
Satu Mare ranks 40 of 42, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from finance, property and business services |
|---|---|---|
| 36 | Mureş | 14.4% |
| 37 | Olt | 14.3% |
| 38 | Mehedinţi | 14.2% |
| 39 | Brăila | 13.9% |
| 40 | Satu Mare | 13.8% |
| 41 | Timiş | 12.9% |
| 42 | Gorj | 12.4% |
Share of output from public administration, education, health and other services (2024)
Satu Mare ranks 12 of 42, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from public administration, education, health and other services |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | Mureş | 22.8% |
| 10 | Dolj | 22.8% |
| 11 | Harghita | 21.9% |
| 12 | Satu Mare | 21.6% |
| 13 | Tulcea | 21.2% |
| 14 | Vrancea | 21.1% |
| 15 | Sălaj | 21.1% |
More on Satu Mare: overview · education and schools · poverty and living standards · government budget · Nord-Vest · Romania
Sources
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3gdp: GDP per person, PPS (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 3bf0fc662f56…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3gdp: GDP, million euros (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 096e15e5fdb3…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3empers: Employment, thousand people (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 664e4e3a6dc0…)
- Agenția Națională pentru Ocuparea Forței de Muncă (ANOFM): Situația statistică a șomajului înregistrat la 31 august 2026: tabele pe județe și regiuni (registered unemployment tables by county and region), read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 343e7489d801…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3empers: Employment (thousand persons) by NUTS 3 region and industry, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 222a97c302d3…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3gva: Gross value added at basic prices by NUTS 3 region and industry, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 c656e8563bdf…)
- Casa Națională de Pensii Publice (CNPP): Situație centralizatoare privind numărul de angajatori, numărul de asigurați și salariul mediu brut pe județe, conform declarațiilor D112, iulie 2026, read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 149307a7ff89…)
- Agenția Națională pentru Ocuparea Forței de Muncă (ANOFM): Situația statistică a șomajului înregistrat la 31 august 2025: tabele pe județe (registered unemployment tables by county), read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 5bf2118fcad5…)
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