ING Romania closed the first half of 2026 with strong commercial results, continuing to attract new retail customers while supporting entrepreneurs and projects that have a positive impact on the Romanian economy. In the first half of the year, we welcomed 120,000 new customers, of whom 50,000 were under the age of 24, confirming the relevance of our offering and the digital ecosystem built around the Home’Bank app.
The first half of the year delivered balanced growth, at a level similar to last year, with total revenues of 2.1 billion lei representing a 1.6% increase compared to the same period last year. Lending momentum continued, with a 14.9% volume increases reaching a total of 52 billion lei, while deposits continue to be attractive to clients, increasing by 5.4% to a total of 72.5 billion lei. in an environment of reduced economic momentum and higher bank taxes, the first semester closed with a profit before tax of 667.4 million lei, a drop of 29.2% compared to last year.
„The first half of the year marked a strong start for ING Bank Romania, with good commercial momentum and resilient financial performance. We are pleased to see that the experience we offer continues to attract more Romanians to ING, including a new generation of users: 50,000 of the new customers acquired during this semester are under the age of 24.
At the same time, mid-year also marked an important milestone, reaching 2 million active individual and business customers, out of a total of 2.2 million customers of the bank. This means that more than 90% of our total customer base actively uses our products, finding them relevant in their everyday lives. This growth has been achieved organically, through consistent usage and customer recommendations, within a business model that has placed digital at the heart of the banking experience”, stated Mihaela Bîtu, Country Manager ING Bank Romania.
Mihaela Bîtu, Country Manager ING Bank Romania
Supporting Romania’s sustainable development through strategic financing and investment attraction
In parallel, we continued our commitment to supporting the transition to a more sustainable economy through financing dedicated to projects with a positive impact.
More than EUR 810 million was mobilized into projects supporting the transition to a low-carbon economy. Financing was primarily directed toward improving energy efficiency in the real estate sector and supporting decarbonization investments in key areas of the economy. The refinancing of Delgaz Grid is a relevant example: these investments will help reduce network losses, enhance the stability of the energy system, and enable the integration of a greater share of renewable energy into the national infrastructure, while supporting both the resilience of the energy system and Romania’s 2030 objectives.
At the same time, we are strengthening our role in international financial markets by participating in landmark transactions for Romania. The bank was one of the arrangers of a USD 4 billion sovereign bond issuance, the largest transaction of its kind ever completed by Romania. Structured in three tranches (5, 10, and 30 years) and including a refinancing component, the transaction attracted strong demand from international investors and contributed to reinforcing the country’s position in external markets.
ING’s involvement in such transactions highlights the bank’s role as a strategic partner for Romania on international capital markets, its ability to connect the local economy with global liquidity, and its contribution to maintaining financial stability and investor confidence.
Customers are increasingly interested in a healthier and more sustainable future
The first half of the year brought another 120,000 new customers, with approximately 43% joining through the Bring a Friend referral program. 95% of our retail customers are active users of our products (accessing Home’Bank daily on an average), with one of the best scored client experiences – thus the referral program proves a high level of loyalty and advocacy. A significant share of these new customers is under the age of 24, most of them coming through referrals — a clear sign that younger generations are choosing a banking experience that is simple, digital, and relevant to their lifestyle.
At the beginning of the year, we introduced a new proposition to the Romanian market through its current account packages, marking the transition from the traditional current account model to a benefits-based system tailored to different customer needs. In the first months following the launch, the More package recorded the highest activation rate among existing customers, becoming their preferred choice. This option also proves our strategic point of going beyond banking services but building relevance with what our customers need in their day-to-day life.
We continue to play an active role in developing and expanding the RoPay ecosystem in Romania, being among the first banks to integrate RoPay into customers’ everyday banking experience. In doing so, we are helping establish RoPay as a national payments’ infrastructure with relevance across the economy. For individuals, RoPay provides instant, simple and secure payments and transfers without the need to enter card details or an IBAN. For merchants, it offers near real-time settlements, faster access to liquidity and competitive costs. Through partnerships with PPC, Generali, Digi Romania, Auchan, eMAG and Dedeman, we contributed to strengthening RoPay as a modern payment alternative and accelerating the transition towards a more digital and efficient economy.
Beyond the growing preference for digital services, we are also seeing a clear trend towards more energy-efficient homes. Within the bank’s portfolio, 50.5% of mortgages granted during the first half of the year financed properties with an Energy Performance Certificate rated A, compared to 40.8% at the end of 2025. Through ING Personal Eco, customers benefit from preferential financing with a fixed interest rate of 5.99% for purchases that improve household energy management or support low-emission mobility.
To help Romanians—including our customers—better understand and optimize their energy consumption and related costs, EFdeN, with the support of ING, launched Romania’s first comprehensive and free digital energy-efficiency simulator. By completing a simple questionnaire, apartment owners can assess their home’s energy performance and identify effective investment options to improve energy efficiency.
Romanian entrepreneurs, fast adoption of new online solutions
Digitalisation and innovation remain at the core of our strategy and are increasingly reflected in the solutions we offer entrepreneurs, who continue to adopt them at a rapid pace. Since the end of last year, companies with multiple shareholders or directors have been able to establish a banking relationship fully online, directly through Home’Bank – a process that was previously available only to businesses with a sole shareholder and sole administrator.
The results confirm the accelerated adoption of digital solutions among business customers:
- 92% of newly onboarded companies chose to open their accounts online;
- the share of account closures completed digitally increased from 74% to 82%;
- the addition of users through ING Business rose from 47% to 56%;
- onboarding for Classic POS recorded one of the strongest increases, from 60% to 69%;
- the generation of loan repayment schedules through ING Business reached 98% of all requests.
During the same period, we launched Business Bonus Deposit, a solution designed for companies looking to optimise their liquidity while benefiting from simple, fast and fully digital processes.
Supporting women entrepreneurs and strengthening local business communities
Nearly 1,000 women-founded businesses enrolled in the second edition of the She’s Next program, run by ING Bank Romania and Visa in partnership with Impact Hub Bucharest between May 2025 and May 2026. Of these, 10 entrepreneurs were selected for the final stage. Throughout the program, the finalists benefited from personalized mentoring sessions tailored to the specific needs of their businesses, as well as group coaching sessions that encouraged knowledge sharing and strengthened connections within the She’s Next community. The winners awarded during Pitch Day, held on 27 May in Bucharest were Iulia Suciu (ZEN-VITA, Bucharest, 30,000 eur), Cristina Olteanu (AlbAlb, Bucharest, 20,000 eur) and Carina Sava (Watermelon Agency, Bucharest, 10,000 eur).
This year, we also joined OFA (The Organisation of Businesswomen) as a strategic partner. Between June and December, OFA is organising a series of events across Romania, leveraging its presence across 31 counties nationwide. These events bring together entrepreneurs, experts and business leaders to discuss practical topics such as financial education, digital skills and tools that support business competitiveness and adaptation to today’s rapidly changing market environment. OFA is also a strategic partner in supporting and promoting the She’s Next entrepreneurial competition, organised by ING Bank and Visa Romania.
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