Topic 01 · Fragmented territorial administration

How much does it cost to run a small commune compared with a large one?

Many Romanian communes have a few hundred or a few thousand inhabitants and an administrative apparatus of their own. We analyse the administrative cost per resident, the overlaps between levels of government and what other countries did with similar structures.

Analyses

6 min · updated 15 October 2026How much extra a commune with fewer than 2,000 inhabitants costsA third of Romania's communes have fewer than 2,000 inhabitants. The administrative cost per head is up to four times higher than in large localities.