ROBOR rose to 6.11%, the second consecutive increase. Loan repayments are becoming more expensive

The three-month ROBOR rate, which forms the basis for calculating repayments on RON-denominated loans, reached 6.11% on Friday, 2 October 2026, according to data published by the National Bank of Romania (cursbnr.ro). This is a level last seen on 9 January 2026, and the rise marked the second consecutive day of increases, up from 6.06% the day before.

This index directly affects repayments for approximately 152,000 Romanians with mortgage or property loans, as well as for over 110,000 companies.

A rapid rise in just a few days

Tracking recent developments, a consistent upward trend is evident:

• 23 September: 5.85%
• 24 September: 5.93%
• 25 September: 5.97%
• 28 September: 5.97%
• 29 September: 5.98%
• 30 September: 5.98%
• 1 October: 6.06%
• 2 October: 6.11%

In practical terms, the index has risen by more than 0.25 percentage points in just a matter of days.

Who is feeling the impact

According to data compiled by the National Bank of Romania as of 30 June 2026 and obtained by ZF, the rise in ROBOR directly affects over 152,000 Romanians with loans tied to this index — whether standard mortgage loans, Prima Casă/Noua Casă loans, or RON-denominated consumer loans — as well as over 115,000 companies.

In the corporate segment, more than half of all businesses with bank financing — specifically 116,238 companies — hold loans linked to ROBOR.

Context: Standard & Poor's decision on Romania's credit rating

The rise in the index coincides with the day on which the rating agency Standard & Poor's is due to announce whether Romania will retain its investment-grade rating or be downgraded to speculative grade, commonly known as "junk".

A potential downgrade could increase the government's borrowing costs and place additional pressure on interest rates across the economy, in a climate already marked by political instability following Parliament's rejection of the government proposed by Siegfried Mureșan.