Hey babe, the IMF's new Balkan GDP stats just dropped for 2026. Everyone got a revised boost. 💪
Posted by SoulEkko@reddit | AskBalkans | View on Reddit | 37 comments
In Romania's case, the GDP got revised from 444 billion to 480 billion in 2026, meaning that in 2027 Romania will reach half a trillion GDP, 3 full years shorter than estimated previously (2030).
This is due to joining the OECD this summer, becoming EU's top gas producer in 2027 via Neptune Deep, negotiating reopening mining operations at Baia de Fier for graphite (which can be turned into graphene, powering EV batteries and AI chips nowadays), and also injecting the 16 billion SAFE funds to revitalize and modernize the defense industry.
MrThrowawayperC@reddit
If only
danRares@reddit
Romania acceleration is also fuelled by the inflation. Romania has the biggest inflation in the region.
We need to solve that so our growth is real and sustainable
Odd-Future1037@reddit
Dude gdp growth deducts inflation.
danRares@reddit
Dude the graphic is not gdp growth in percentage but nominal value. You are right gdp growts excludes inflayion but basically if you have a 10%inflation and 1% real growth your nominal gdp will grow with 11%
SoulEkko@reddit (OP)
9% inflation rate is definitely not great, but there's cases out there with 30-45% inflation rates, including Turkey which is just one Bulgaria around the corner.
danRares@reddit
Let's not compare us w8th Turkey, all due respect but a country with 40% inflation for years is a banana republic
Ok_Eagle_3079@reddit
No Turkey is a tea republic
danRares@reddit
Hahaha I like this one, ceai republic.
Strange_Status_7690@reddit
just look the difference between Albania, Bosnia, North Macedonia and versus Romania, Croatia,.Bulgaria.
The first three are like a dump economies compared to the other three.
SoulEkko@reddit (OP)
It's less about bad economies, no economy is inherently bad, it's about exploitation of resources and management (politics manage a country's resources). Once Albania/Bosnia/NM join the EU, their economies will ramp up as well since they'll have more resources to work with. Romania is a bit of an exception for the region due to a 19 million population, which is 6th in the EU.
Imagine if Yugoslavia never broke up, it would be in a similar position with Romania, maybe even better since they didn't experience our shitass dictatorship.
JovanREDDIT1@reddit
when the sun cools down enough to become a black dwarf, only then will we join the eu
still before turkey at least
Strange_Status_7690@reddit
Listen, Romania is 20 years inside EU. can you imagine that right?
Considering the other small Balkan countries I don't believe they will achieve the same progress because probably only Montenegro can inside EU in near future.
being huge post communist country made the development faster but also luck as both Bulgaria and Romania were wanted as they offered the EU resources, while some issues like domestic agriculture disappeared as the market enter large companies from other EU countries.
SoulEkko@reddit (OP)
EU's major problem is the veto, that's all there is to it. In the 2000's when optimism was high the veto was thought of a tool to empower smaller countries, instead the veto became a weapon of abuse and easily exploitable (see Orban for the past decade for example). EU acknowledges this vulnerability now and is working on it.
If the veto is removed, or bypassed, or if EU adds another tier of membership without the veto itself (supermajority vote for example), I think that would make the process far faster for the rest of the Balkans to join. After that point, it's only a matter of time before they catch up on a per capita basis.
Strange_Status_7690@reddit
I'm from Slavic part of Balkan. I can tell you Serbia or Bosnia will never join EU. I'm not from there but known very well, those would be trojan horses inside without the veto. We don't know what will happen after 20 years with the world order and thownthe EU will evolve, but also other small Balkan countries bring nothing, just problems.
Beautiful-Dish-6275@reddit
Bosnia and Serbia are not really the same cathegory. Serbia would be similar to Hungary probably at some point, but Bosnia is an entireoy different level of problematic. Not because of its allegance, but due to its political system which keeps the country pocked in place.
Strange_Status_7690@reddit
BiH is artificial country. From today's perspective it should have been made different when the war finished. It's a Yugo war project same with Kosovo and North Macedonia which is also country with bilateral and conflict agreements.
Serbia is large enough as a standalone but cannot enter EU even with another government considering how much unresolved problems it has like Kosovo issue.
So as we know only Montenegro small enough and good country. Albania might be pulled if they decide as has no Russian proxies but it's also very corrupt and poor country.
Beautiful-Dish-6275@reddit
Yeah, Sns did a number on the population of Serbia with propaganda, a lot of them are anti EU, the nato bombing Belgrade is still fresh, most people lived through that period so a lot of them are anti west.
BiH i think can be saved if people choose to reform it into a normal democracy, which isnt haooening any tine soon.
Being a poor country isnt really that important here, many countries were completely broke when they entered the EU, mine included.
dobrits@reddit
Great, I am happy for the balkans in general we kinda deserve some nice things
SoulEkko@reddit (OP)
Finally, some positive attitude! That's the spirit! 💪
National-Lemon7602@reddit
Yep, Bulgaria-Croatia-Romania-Greece, Together we form a very good economic power 🙂
Beautiful-Dish-6275@reddit
Agreed!
Beautiful-Dish-6275@reddit
We did it fols, cracked into 100 billion club.
National-Lemon7602@reddit
Hip Hip Hurray 😁. Both Bulgaria and Croatia benefited also from joining the Eurozone, Schengen also gave as a boost.
SoulEkko@reddit (OP)
Since 2025! 💪
Beautiful-Dish-6275@reddit
Yeah mb, still a long way until we catch Denmark and the Netherlands. Denmark recently crossed into 500 billion territory.
SoulEkko@reddit (OP)
Netherlands has a population comparable to Romania (around 18 million). They're also around wealthy countries. Denmark as well, but their population (6 million) at least puts them into a more reachable position for Croatia.
Beautiful-Dish-6275@reddit
I meant per capita ofcourse. Should have pointed that out.
Also 18 million on such a small territory is crazy.
SoulEkko@reddit (OP)
Yeah, the NL is about 1/6th of Romania. They're packed in there. But a high rate of urbanization makes things easier, see Shanghai, which is about 1/6th of the NL in size and has 24 million people.
dwartbg9@reddit
And Bulgaria is now considered an advanced economy, high-income country since 2023 and also going to join the OECD next year most likely.
SoulEkko@reddit (OP)
You should join OECD, since it's basically a "seal of approval" for investors, bringing further money into the economy. Damn shame that we both missed the 90's window to join, when countries like Poland and Hungary joined in 1996, Czechia one year earlier.
maximhar@reddit
I think Romania is joining too
SoulEkko@reddit (OP)
Yes, two months.
Ok_Eagle_3079@reddit
Another bonus is that you can compare yourself with the best of the best.
AmbientRiffster@reddit
I don't give a shit about GDP because my wage hasn't gone up in 3 years
LenaLena93@reddit
The way we would be much better at this if we were normal
SoulEkko@reddit (OP)
You can thank Russia for that. Their shitty ideology split Europe in half, making the Eastern half of the continent far poorer than the Western half for decades, this triggered scarcity trauma in people, leading to increased predisposition to corruption, and thus slowing down even further the progress.
SoulEkko@reddit (OP)
Source: International Monetary Fund. Scroll towards the middle of the page (beneath the map) to see the Balkan countries selection.