Bucharest, July 9, 2026 – RBJ – Ataraxis recently published the 2026 Global Outsourcing Talent Index, a data-backed audit of all 193 UN-recognized countries scored across five variables: labor cost, English proficiency, talent availability, digital infrastructure, and political stability.
Ataraxis (sometimes spelled Atraxis in the media) is an American consulting company and boutique outsourcing firm, headquartered in Montgomery, Texas. The company became globally recognized primarily for its macro-analyses and indices regarding the labor market and technology, such as the Global Outsourcing Talent Index.What does Ataraxis do?
Global talent sourcing: It connects growing businesses in the US, UK, Canada, or Australia with virtual assistants, medical support experts, and high-level professionals from international talent hubs (such as the Philippines, Latin America, or Eastern Europe).
Operational cost reduction: It helps businesses outsource services to overseas teams, reducing labor costs by up to 70%, while handling the rigorous vetting process, international payroll, and legal compliance.
Macro-economic research and analysis: In addition to recruitment, the company publishes annual industry-leading reports. In 2026, alongside their main talent index, they also launched the Global Outsourcing AI Readiness Index (a ranking that measures how prepared various countries are for AI-driven outsourcing services).(Note: The company’s name comes from the Greek word “ataraxia,” which means a state of peace of mind and absence of anxiety, suggesting that they take the stress of recruitment off entrepreneurs’ shoulders).
Romania ranks #10 globally and is the highest-ranked EU member state in the entire index.
Data from the 2026 index relevant to our country:
>>> Romania ranks #10 globally and is the highest scoring European country for outsourcing competitiveness.
>>> Romania (#10) and Poland (#14) are the only European Union member states that rank in the top 15 globally for outsourcing competitiveness. The next highest EU member is Hungary at #21, followed by Bulgaria at #25, with all other EU member states ranking #30 or lower (e.g., Portugal at #30 and Italy at #56).
>>> Romania ranks as one of the world’s most stable outsourcing destinations in the top tier. Its Stability score of 70/100 is higher than half of the countries in the Global Top 10 (India, South Africa, Nigeria, Indonesia, and Argentina).
>>> Romania (#10) is the highest-ranked Eastern European country in the index, placing it in the top 5% of all 193 destinations evaluated.. It outranks every Western European economy, including the United Kingdom (#29), Germany (#84), France (#73), Spain (#49), and Italy (#56).
>>> Romania and Croatia are the only two countries in Eastern Europe to achieve a perfect English proficiency score of 100/100, matching the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, and the United States on language capability while significantly outcompeting them on labor cost.
In the Ataraxis Global Outsourcing Talent Index 2026, Romania overtakes both Poland and Hungary, becoming the absolute leader in outsourcing competitiveness in the European Union. Each of the three countries in the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) region has a different strategic profile, with the report highlighting a close competition between them.
Detailed analysis of the differences
Romania vs. Poland (Efficiency vs. Scale): Poland remains the regional leader in total specialist volume (over 650,000 developers), but tax reforms (KSeF) and labor protection in 2026 have significantly increased its hourly rates. For this reason, companies from the US and the UK view Poland as a stable but expensive hub, preferring Romania as a high-performance, much more cost-effective hub.
Romania’s Multilingual Advantage: Although all three countries have good knowledge of the English language, the report highlights Romania as a “Multilingual Powerhouse”. The fact that 99% of Romanian high school students learn at least two foreign languages gives our country a massive advantage over Poland and Hungary when it comes to support services (BPO) and multilingual operations for European subsidiaries.
Macroeconomic stability: Romania achieved a stability score of 70/100, surpassing half of the countries in the Global Top 10 (such as India or Argentina). EU membership provides Romania, Poland and Hungary with a level of legal certainty and data protection that Asian or African destinations cannot match.
(Note: We thank Ashleigh Atuahene, Co-Founder Ataraxis. Ashleigh Atuahene is an entrepreneur, strategic partnerships expert, and author who focuses on global business development and integrating technology solutions into emerging markets).
