Economy, jobs and prices in Tulcea (Sud-Est, Romania): official figures
GDP per person was 25,300 purchasing power standards (PPS) in 2024, 63% of the EU average (77% for Romania); 14th highest of 42 counties in Romania.
How big is the economy of Tulcea?
The local economy produced €2.9 billion of output (GDP) in 2024.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people work in Tulcea?
About 92,880 people worked in Tulcea in 2024 (employment by place of work).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the unemployment rate in Tulcea?
At the end of August 2026 the employment agency in Tulcea county had 2,983 people on its unemployment register, giving a rate of 4.05% (20th highest of 42 counties; national rate 3.26%).
Source: Agenția Națională pentru Ocuparea Forței de Muncă (ANOFM) · saved copyIs unemployment rising in Tulcea?
Registered unemployment in Tulcea was 3.71% at the end of August 2025 with 2,691 people on the register, so over the year the rate rose by 0.34 percentage points and the count rose by 292 (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 people get unemployment benefit in Tulcea?
Only 20.2% of the unemployed registered in Tulcea county (604 people) were receiving unemployment benefit in August 2026; the other 2,379 were registered without benefit. Nationally 23.7% received benefit.
Source: Agenția Națională pentru Ocuparea Forței de Muncă (ANOFM) · saved copyHow many young people are unemployed in Tulcea?
Young people under 25 were 13.0% of the registered unemployed in Tulcea in August 2026 (388 people), while those over 55 were 23.1%. 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 Tulcea?
In July 2026 the average gross salary declared for workers in Tulcea was 6,896 lei, which is 90% of the national average of 7,649 lei and 11th highest of 42 counties.
Source: Casa Națională de Pensii Publice (CNPP) · saved copyHow many employers are there in Tulcea?
4,578 employers in Tulcea filed social insurance returns for July 2026, covering 46,177 insured people, an average of 10.1 insured per employer (10.7 nationally). The county accounts for 0.7% of Romania's insured workforce.
Source: Casa Națională de Pensii Publice (CNPP) · saved copyWhat is the main industry in Tulcea?
The largest part of the economy of Tulcea in 2024 was industry (manufacturing, mining and energy), at 22.9% of gross value added, followed by public administration, education, health and other services (21.2%).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow industrial is Tulcea?
Factories, mines and energy produced 22.9% of the value added in Tulcea in 2024, against 19.1% for Romania.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow fast is the economy of Tulcea growing?
Gross value added rose from €1.1 billion in 2015 to €2.6 billion in 2024 in current prices, an increase of 138% before inflation.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyAre jobs growing in Tulcea?
The number of people working in Tulcea fell by 6.8% between 2015 and 2024, to 92,880.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyMore figures
- Women made up 52.2% of the registered unemployed in Tulcea in August 2026; the female unemployment rate was 4.85% and the male rate 3.44%, one of the wider gaps between the sexes in Romania. Source: Agenția Națională pentru Ocuparea Forței de Muncă (ANOFM) · saved copy
- 384 of the registered unemployed in Tulcea were long-term unemployed in August 2026 (out of work for more than 12 months, or more than 6 months for those under 25), 12.9% of the total against 38.9% nationally; 11th lowest of 42 counties. Source: Agenția Națională pentru Ocuparea Forței de Muncă (ANOFM) · saved copy
- 11.2% of the unemployed on the register in Tulcea county had at most primary schooling or no schooling at all in August 2026 (28.5% nationally), and 106 had a university degree. Source: Agenția Națională pentru Ocuparea Forței de Muncă (ANOFM) · saved copy
How Tulcea compares with other counties in Romania
Registered unemployment rate, 31 August 2026 (%) (August 2026)
Tulcea ranks 20 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 (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 17 | Satu Mare | 4.31% |
| 18 | Argeş | 4.30% |
| 19 | Dâmboviţa | 4.12% |
| 20 | Tulcea | 4.05% |
| 21 | Alba | 3.95% |
| 22 | Botoşani | 3.83% |
| 23 | Buzău | 3.83% |
Average gross monthly wage, July 2026 (lei) (July 2026)
Tulcea ranks 11 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) |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Bacău | 7,097 lei |
| 9 | Iaşi | 7,053 lei |
| 10 | Prahova | 6,903 lei |
| 11 | Tulcea | 6,896 lei |
| 12 | Mureş | 6,830 lei |
| 13 | Dolj | 6,712 lei |
| 14 | Galaţi | 6,513 lei |
Long-term unemployed, share of registered unemployed, August 2026 (%) (August 2026)
Tulcea ranks 32 of 42, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Long-term unemployed, share of registered unemployed, August 2026 (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 29 | Timiş | 20.9% |
| 30 | Bihor | 19.7% |
| 31 | Vâlcea | 18.0% |
| 32 | Tulcea | 12.9% |
| 33 | Giurgiu | 12.7% |
| 34 | Botoşani | 10.6% |
| 35 | Satu Mare | 6.7% |
Change in registered unemployment rate, August 2025 to August 2026 (percentage points) (2025-2026)
Tulcea ranks 10 of 42, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Change in registered unemployment rate, August 2025 to August 2026 (percentage points) |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Constanţa | +0.39 |
| 8 | Arad | +0.34 |
| 9 | Călăraşi | +0.34 |
| 10 | Tulcea | +0.34 |
| 11 | Vâlcea | +0.31 |
| 12 | Alba | +0.26 |
| 13 | Botoşani | +0.25 |
Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) (2024)
Tulcea ranks 20 of 42, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) |
|---|---|---|
| 17 | Vâlcea | 24.2% |
| 18 | Braşov | 23.0% |
| 19 | Bihor | 22.9% |
| 20 | Tulcea | 22.9% |
| 21 | Harghita | 22.8% |
| 22 | Bistriţa-Năsăud | 22.6% |
| 23 | Călăraşi | 22.6% |
Share of output from finance, property and business services (2024)
Tulcea ranks 14 of 42, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from finance, property and business services |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Braşov | 19.8% |
| 12 | Alba | 19.3% |
| 13 | Hunedoara | 19.2% |
| 14 | Tulcea | 18.9% |
| 15 | Caraş-Severin | 18.3% |
| 16 | Maramureş | 17.6% |
| 17 | Galaţi | 17.5% |
Share of output from public administration, education, health and other services (2024)
Tulcea ranks 13 of 42, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from public administration, education, health and other services |
|---|---|---|
| 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% |
| 16 | Covasna | 21.0% |
More on Tulcea: overview · education and schools · poverty and living standards · government budget · Sud-Est · 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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