Romanians cover the shortest distance on their daily commute to and from work compared with other Europeans, but spend an average of almost 53 minutes travelling, according to the findings of a specialist study conducted in 16 countries, Agerpres reports.

According to data analysed by SD Worx, Romania ranks sixth by average commuting time, although the average distance reported is the shortest in the analysis.

“Employees in Romania spend an average of 53 minutes a day commuting to and from work, although they travel just 17 kilometres, compared with a European average of 45 kilometres – the shortest average distance among the 16 European countries included in the HR & Payroll Pulse study (…) In terms of commuting time, Romania ranks sixth in the European ranking. Moreover, the actual commuting time exceeds the maximum amount of time Romanian employees say they would be willing to spend travelling each day, namely 51 minutes. By comparison, at European level, the maximum accepted time is 62 minutes, 14 minutes longer than the actual average commuting time,” the study’s authors state.

According to the source cited, the longest average commuting times are reported in Belgium, where employees travel an average of 64 kilometres there and back and spend 61 minutes on the road, followed by Sweden – with 53 kilometres and 57 minutes – and Ireland (47 kilometres and 56 minutes).

At the other end of the ranking, in terms of duration, are Croatia – with 37 kilometres travelled in 41 minutes, Italy – with 42 kilometres in 35 minutes, and Slovenia – with 42 kilometres in 32 minutes. Thus, of all the countries included in the study, Romania records the shortest average distance, at 17 kilometres, while Belgium records the longest, at 64 kilometres.

The difference between the time spent travelling and the distance covered points to a problem of mobility rather than distance, the authors of the specialist study say.

In this context, in Romania, almost two-thirds (63%) of respondents report a round-trip commute of 10–29 kilometres, a proportion more than twice the European average of 27%. Nevertheless, only 47% of Romanian employees complete their commute in under 45 minutes.

On the other hand, 16% spend at least 90 minutes travelling each day, compared with 13% at European level, while 11% of respondents in Romania spend at least two hours on the road.

Regional data show that, in Bucharest-Ilfov, the round-trip commute takes an average of 73 minutes, although the distance travelled is just 16 kilometres, while in the other seven development regions, average commuting times range from 43 to 49 minutes.

More than half of respondents in Bucharest-Ilfov (51%) say they spend at least an hour a day travelling to and from work, while 33% report spending at least 90 minutes and 23% say they spend at least two hours on the road – approximately twice the national average of 11%.

“These data do not automatically translate into a rejection of commuting to the office. Almost half of Romanian respondents, namely 48%, would like to work from home to the same extent as at present, while 38.2% would prefer to work from home more, a percentage slightly above the European average of 35.8%. A further 13.7% of Romanian employees would like to work from home less. In Bucharest-Ilfov, where commuting pressure is highest among the regions analysed, 47% of respondents would like to work from home more, while only 10% would like to work from home less. At the same time, 35% believe they lose valuable time on the road that could be used for work. In Bucharest-Ilfov, the figure reaches 43%,” the cited study says.

Romania also ranks second among the 16 countries analysed in terms of the availability of commuting options: 61% of Romanian respondents believe they have enough options for getting to work, compared with a European average of 53%. In this ranking, only the Netherlands records a higher percentage, at 70%.

At the same time, 52% of employees consider public transport convenient, reliable and easily accessible, compared with a European average of 36%.

“The contradiction is even more visible in Bucharest-Ilfov: 58% of respondents rate public transport positively, the highest percentage among Romania’s regions, although the longest average commuting time is also reported here. Nevertheless, the relatively long duration reported for the shortest average distance in the analysis shows that the availability and perception of transport options do not always translate into a fast journey,” the research data point out.

The “HR & Payroll Pulse” study was conducted between 27 January and 20 February 2026 in 16 European countries (Belgium, Germany, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Croatia, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, the United Kingdom and Sweden), among a sample of 5,936 HR decision-makers and 16,500 employees.

SD Worx specialises in HR, payroll and time-management solutions. The company supports more than 100,000 organisations, processes the payroll of more than six million employees every month and recorded revenues of €1.3 billion in 2025.

Source – AGERPRES