Market Research Companies in Bucharest

Key figures for researchers

Population

1,716,961 (census of 1 December 2021); 1,709,458 estimated on 1 January 2025¹

Sectors

6; largest Sector 3 (374,737), smallest Sector 1 (217,367) at the 2021 census¹

Change since 2011

down from 1,883,425 at the 2011 census²

Ilfov county (suburbs)

542,704 people in 2021, up from 388,738 in 2011; 604,061 estimated in 2025²

Bucharest-Ilfov region

2,259,665 people (2021 census)²

Region area

1,821 km², of which 13.1% is the city of Bucharest³

Public transport

5 metro lines; 65 regional bus lines and 1 metropolitan train line serve Ilfov³

GDP per inhabitant

about 3 times that of Romania’s non-metropolitan regions (2021)⁴

Productivity

GDP per person employed 55% higher than in any other Romanian metropolitan region (2021)⁴

Income

net primary income per inhabitant 2.3 times the Romanian average in Bucharest-Ilfov (2022)⁵

Research guide

Research landscape

Bucharest is by far the main business centre of Romania: GDP per inhabitant is about three times that of the country’s non-metropolitan regions, and GDP per person employed is 55% higher than in any other Romanian metropolitan region (2021). Many full-service agencies, qualitative specialists, B2B and healthcare firms, CATI centres and panel providers working on Romania are based in the city, and it is the first location for B2B, IT, financial services and public sector research.

Who you will interview

The 2021 census counted 1,716,961 residents, down from 1,883,425 in 2011, while Ilfov county around the city grew from 388,738 to 542,704 people (an estimated 604,061 in 2025). Many families have moved to new housing in Ilfov while still working, studying or shopping in Bucharest.

Incomes are much higher than in the rest of the country: in 2022, net primary income per inhabitant in Bucharest-Ilfov was 2.3 times the Romanian average. Results for Bucharest often differ from national averages, so set quotas on Bucharest figures and consider a Bucharest boost on a national sample when city findings matter.

Fieldwork in practice

The city is divided into 6 sectors, each with its own mayor and town hall. At the 2021 census they ranged from 217,367 residents in Sector 1 to 374,737 in Sector 3; each sector runs from the centre to the edge of the city, so it mixes very different neighbourhoods. Quotas by sector help spread the interviews.

Most residents live in apartment blocks, from large communist-era estates to new residential complexes with access control. Door-to-door interviewing needs more contact attempts, and agreements with building administrators can help. Decide early whether the target is Bucharest residents only or the whole Bucharest-Ilfov region (2,259,665 people in 2021): commuters from Ilfov are often missed by a city-only sample. Online panels are the usual method for consumer surveys, with telephone or face-to-face interviews for older residents.

Focus groups and qualitative research

In-person focus groups are usually held in dedicated facilities with a one-way mirror and video streaming. Traffic is heavy at rush hour, so choose a facility close to the metro (5 lines) when possible and allow travel time for evening groups, especially for respondents coming from Ilfov.

Business and senior respondents often prefer online interviews. Ask the agency for its Bucharest incentive levels and recruitment lead times. Summers are hot: in July and August, plan air-conditioned venues and check for heatwave warnings from the National Meteorological Administration on fieldwork days.

Timing

Avoid the Christmas and New Year period (school winter break from 23 December 2026 to 10 January 2027), Orthodox Easter and the long weekend of 30 November and 1 December. Schools also close for the autumn break (24 October to 1 November 2026), the spring break (24 April to 4 May 2027) and one flexible week between 15 February and 7 March 2027, chosen by the Bucharest school inspectorate. Summer holidays run from 19 June to 5 September 2027, when many residents leave the city.

Working with a Bucharest agency

• Share a clear brief: objectives, target, sample size, sectors or Ilfov localities, method, languages and deadline.
• Say whether the target is Bucharest residents only or the whole Bucharest-Ilfov region.
• For face-to-face or recruitment, ask how the agency reaches residents of apartment blocks and gated complexes.
• For focus groups, ask for the facility address, access by metro, viewing room capacity, streaming options and incentive levels.
• Compare several proposals: you can send one request to up to 5 Bucharest companies from this page.

National rules (data protection, holidays, sampling across regions) are covered in our guide to market research in Romania.