City Index: Which Are the Top Performing Cities in Romania?
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The Institute for Visionary Cities launches CITY INDEX 2024, a new standard for evaluating urban performance in Romania. This comprehensive barometer analyzes the urban evolution of the 41 county seat municipalities under three main aspects: QUALITY OF PLACE, PROSPERITY and VIBRATION, using a set of 51 specialized indicators.
CITY INDEX is built as a working tool for public administrations and the private sector, providing detailed reports that can support informed and strategic decisions in urban planning.
Cluj-Napoca, Bucharest and Sibiu lead the top of urban performance in Romania, according to CITY INDEX. Brașov and Timișoara complete the first five places, followed by Iași, Oradea, Târgu Mureș, Alba Iulia and Constanța, according to the data presented in the attached infographic, which includes all 41 county seat municipalities.
The CITY INDEX analysis reveals a significant concentration of performing cities in the Carpathian arc. Of the top ten places, seven are located inside this geographical region, while the lower performing cities are exclusively outside the Carpathian arc. In addition, the only Moldovan city included in the Top 10 is Iasi, highlighting the significant regional variations in urban performance in Romania.
CITY INDEX analyzes and consolidates data from the period 2022-2023 for the 41 county seat municipalities. To ensure a fair comparison between cities of different sizes, the scores of each indicator have been standardized according to city size and population, according to the Population and Housing Census 2021. The methodology used combines official statistical data from various sources, such as the National Institute of Statistics and ministries, with qualitative reviews of residents and tourists obtained from platforms such as TripAdvisor and Google Places.
“Together with experts from various fields related to urban development, we created this Index of cities, as an x-ray of the present reality of the city and a working tool, to help those who contribute to the development of cities, either from public administrations or from the private sector, to make strategic decisions based on objective data. In the business area it is often said that you can only improve what you measure. At IOV, we believe that also in public administration there is a vital need for data to grow cities efficiently and according to the needs of the inhabitants. Inevitably, we also make rankings, but we want them to stimulate and help cities become better, providing them with benchmarks and valuable information,” said Felix Tătaru, President of the Institute for Visionary Cities.
1. CITIES RANKING – PLACE QUALITY ![]()
Quality of Place is one of the three major components of the CITY INDEX and reflects the attractiveness of the city, how the infrastructure, attractions, natural environment and essential services (health, education) contribute to a high standard of living.
In relation to this component, the top performers are maintained, Cluj-Napoca occupying the 1st place, followed by Bucharest, Sibiu, Brașov and Iași.
Surprises appear in the Top 10 cities with the best quality of place, with Târgu-Jiu in 7th place, Râmnicu Vâlcea in 8th place, Alba-Iulia in 9th place and Reșita in 10th place.
On this component where it is the leader, the strengths of the city of Cluj-Napoca are the fields of Education and Air Connectivity. Bucharest ranks 1st in the domains of Parks and Connectivity. Sibiu ranks first in the Sights & Landmarks category and second in Historical Monuments. Târgu-Jiu benefits from its proximity to numerous natural and national parks, offering significant recreational opportunities for residents and tourists. Râmnicu Vâlcea has the highest life expectancy, and Alba-Iulia ranks first in terms of the quality of secondary and high school education.
Also, Târgu Mureș ranks first in the field of Hospitals & Doctors, among all 41 analyzed municipalities. Ranked 10th in the Top cities with the best quality of place, Reșita Municipality, with a population of just over 58,000 inhabitants, is, according to CITY INDEX, the city with the best air quality and the largest Green Footprint, occupying the place 1 for both indicators.![]()
2. RANKING OF CITIES – PROSPERITY
The “Prosperity” component indicates the city’s economic strength and its interaction with social dynamics. It covers business performance, innovation, public finances and the effects of the economy on demographics and individual opportunities, looking at both economic and social indicators.
In this component, Bucharest ranks first, followed by Cluj-Napoca, Timișoara, Sibiu, Oradea, Slatina, Alba Iulia, Iași, Brașov and Arad, which complete the top ten positions. Bucharest excels in the Urban Competitiveness and Salary Level indicators, but is in the last place in crime and in a modest position in terms of attracting European funds, compared to the population.
Cluj-Napoca ranks 1st in Entrepreneurial Density and has the lowest Unemployment rate, but records the lowest Housing Affordability, relative to salaries and housing prices.
3. CITIES RANKING – VIBRATION ![]()
The vibe illustrates the city’s cultural, social and demographic dynamism, highlighting its ability to create an attractive and energetic atmosphere. This component includes cultural and sporting diversity, varied entertainment options and social interactions, which together contribute to a unique urban experience.
The top of the cities on the Vibration component is led by Sibiu, followed by Cluj-Napoca, and Bucharest occupies only the third place. Constanța and Brașov complete the Top 5. Sibiu is a real performer in this component, occupying the 1st place in Accommodation opportunities, Museums and art institutions and many other indicators.
Moreover, on the Vibration component, the landscape of municipalities that excel in various indicators is much more varied, including even smaller municipalities in the first places. According to the analyzed data, Brașov ranks 1st in terms of culinary and recreational experiences, but Miercurea-Ciuc is in first place in the field of Civic Involvement, Târgu Mureș is in first place in Population Diversity and in 2nd place in Reputation of local sports clubs. Iași has the highest degree of tourist occupation among all the county seat municipalities.
4. EU FUNDS ATTRACTED IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS
An example of a specific report that can be generated from CITY INDEX is the analysis of European funds attracted by municipalities in the period 2019-2023, based on data provided by the Ministry of European Investments and Projects. According to this analysis, the municipality of Reșita is the leader in terms of the value of payments on public projects with European funds, in the period 2019-2023, in relation to the size of the population, followed by Satu Mare, Craiova, Târgoviște and Galați. Although Bucharest leads in the number of projects, with a total of 209, its performance on this indicator, relative to population size, is lower than that of smaller cities.
5. FACTORS AFFECTING THE RELATIVE PERFORMANCE OF CITIES
According to the City Index, the top factors influencing relative urban performance are dominated by Entertainment Options, Education and Competitiveness and Innovation. Factors related to the quality of daily life, such as dining experiences, wellness and active living, are of similar importance. These aspects contribute substantially to relocation decisions and the image of the city, stimulating both tourism and economic and social vitality.
Florian Filat, Executive Director of the Institute for Visionary Cities and project coordinator: “The relatively high importance of entertainment in the general performance school suggests a transition to a higher stage of urban needs. In the context in which Romanian cities have reached a certain level of development, in which basic and safety needs are mostly satisfied, the focus shifts to higher needs, such as belonging, esteem and self-actualization. This change reflects a modern approach to urban development, where the quality of life and well-being of residents include not only basic elements, but also higher-order aspects.”
6. ROMANIAN CITIES, CITIES OF CONTRASTS
The analysis highlights a strong contrasting character of Romanian cities. Even smaller cities are marked by a patchwork of contradictions and discrepancies between various dimensions of performance. One such example is the Municipality of Reșita: ranked 10th in the Top of the cities with the best quality of the place, Reșita, with a population of just over 58,000 inhabitants, is, according to CITY INDEX, the city with the best air quality and the greater Green Footprint, ranking 1st in both indicators, but ranking 28th in the overall performance ranking.
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