The Cluj-Napoca metropolitan area ranks first in a European ranking of the fastest economic growth, with GDP growth of 144% in the 2015–2023 period. The ranking, based on European statistics presented by entrepreneur Borys Musielak, shows that 18 of the most dynamic 20 metropolitan areas in Europe are located in the Central and Eastern European region.

After Cluj-Napoca, the top is followed by Vilnius (+124%), Iași (+121%) and Sofia (+118%). The city on the Someș thus outpaces established European capitals: Dublin (+111%), Prague (+95%), Warsaw (+91%) and Budapest (+87%).

The growth is attributed to Cluj's dynamic economic sectors - services, IT, construction and real estate - but also to the presence of strong universities, which supply the labor market with qualified specialists. Cluj County registered 58,708 companies last year and total sales of 129.53 billion lei, with cumulative capital of over 55 billion lei, despite government fiscal measures and difficult international circumstances.

For Cluj residents who left abroad, the figures show a change of proportions: the city they left behind has become, through the dynamism of its economy, one of the fastest-growing poles in Europe.