It also maintained minimum reserve requirement ratios at 8% for deposits in Romanian lei and at 14% for foreign currency deposits.
Central bank governor Mugur Isarescu said mid-July the bank will not operate further rate cuts, amid a negative inflation rate and an expected economic growth of around 4% this year.
In July, the Romanian central bank kept the key rate and minimum reserve requirements unchanged due to the Greek crisis and turmoil in the region.
The monetary policy lending rate was last cut in May 2015, from 2% to 1.75% a year. Also in May, reserve requirements were lowered from 10% to 8% for local currency deposits.
The International Monetary Fund said at the end of October Romania should not ease its monetary policy further immediately, given the expansionary fiscal stance in 2016, rapid growth in wages and lingering uncertainty in global financial markets.