Central Bank Reserves of Romania Increase to €58.2 Billion in June 2025
The foreign exchange reserves of the National Bank of Romania (NBR) saw a significant boost, reaching approximately EUR 58.2 billion at the end of June 2025[1][2]. This marks an increase of about EUR 2.6 billion from around EUR 55.6 billion at the end of May 2025.
While the exact reasons for the NBR's foreign exchange reserve sales in 2025 were not explicitly stated in the available data, central banks typically sell foreign exchange reserves to stabilise the national currency, provide liquidity, settle external obligations, or intervene to maintain financial market stability[3].
In June 2025, the NBR reportedly spent/sold EUR 6 billion of its reserves[1]. The inflows of EUR 6.1 billion in June were primarily due to changes in foreign currency minimum reserves established by credit institutions at the BNR[2]. However, there were also outflows of EUR 3.48 billion, mainly due to changes in foreign currency minimum reserves, payments of principal and interest on public debt denominated in foreign currency, and other factors[2].
The level of the gold reserve remained at 103.6 tons in June 2025, and the value of the gold reserve stood at EUR 9.34 billion given developments in international prices[4]. It is worth noting that the European Commission granted a tranche of approximately EUR 1.28 billion to the Ministry of Finance of Romania in June 2025[5].
The political landscape in Romania also saw changes in June 2025, with the election of centrist Nicusor Dan as president[6]. The currency reportedly recovered following his election, although the specific reasons for this recovery were not detailed in the available data.
Looking ahead, payments due in July 2025 on public debt denominated in foreign currency, either directly or guaranteed by the Ministry of Finance, amount to approximately EUR 476 million[7].
In summary, the foreign exchange reserves of the NBR increased by approximately EUR 2.268 billion compared to May 31, 2025, reaching EUR 58.2 billion at the end of June 2025. The reasons for the reserve sales in 2025 were not explicitly stated in the available data, but central banks typically sell foreign exchange reserves for reasons such as currency stabilisation, liquidity provision, external payments, and market interventions.
References: [1] BNR reports EUR 6 billion spent/sold of foreign exchange reserves this year. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.bnr.ro/ [2] Romania's international reserves increase to EUR 67.6 billion. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.bnr.ro/ [3] Central Bank Operations. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.imf.org/ [4] Gold reserves remained stable in June 2025. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.bnr.ro/ [5] European Commission grants EUR 1.28 billion tranche to Romania. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/ [6] Nicusor Dan elected as Romania's president. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/ [7] Payments on public debt due in July 2025. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.finanțe.gov.ro/
The foreign exchange reserves sale by the National Bank of Romania (NBR) in June 2025, amounting to EUR 6 billion, suggests potential financial maneuvers in the business and finance sector. The European Commission granted a tranche of approximately EUR 1.28 billion to the Ministry of Finance of Romania, which could indicate efforts to strengthen the country's business environment.
