A big building in Bulgaria

Bulgaria Economy

Bulgaria's economy in numbers:

Nominal GDP of USD 90.2 billion in 2022.

GDP per capita of USD 13,985 compared to the global average of USD 10,589.

Average real GDP growth of 2.2% over the last decade.

Share of the region's population
Share of the region's GDP

Economic structure:

In 2021, services accounted for 74% of overall GDP, manufacturing 14%, other industrial activity 8%, and agriculture 4%. Looking at GDP by expenditure, private consumption accounted for 59% of GDP in 2021, government consumption 20%, fixed investment 20%, and net exports 1%.

GDP by economic sector
GDP by type of expenditure

International trade:

In 2020, manufactured products made up 60% of total merchandise exports, mineral fuels 5%, food 17%, ores and metals 15% and agricultural raw materials 1%, with other categories accounting for 2% of the total. In the same period, manufactured products made up 63% of total merchandise imports, mineral fuels 8%, food 13%, ores and metals 10% and agricultural raw materials 1%, with other goods accounting for 5% of the total. Total exports were worth USD 50 billion in 2022, while total imports were USD 55 billion.

Key exports
Key imports
Key export partners
Key import partners

Economic growth:

The economy recorded average annual growth of 2.2% in the decade to 2022. To read more about GDP growth in Bulgaria, go to our dedicated page.

Fiscal policy:

Bulgaria's fiscal deficit averaged 1.3% of GDP in the decade to 2022. Find out more on our dedicated page.

Unemployment:

The unemployment rate averaged 8.4% in the decade to 2022. For more information on Bulgaria's unemployment click here.

Inflation:

Inflation averaged 2.7% in the decade to 2022. Go to our Bulgaria inflation page for extra insight.

Exchange Rate:

From end-2012 to end-2022 the lev weakened by 16.7% vs the U.S. dollar. For more info on the lev, click here.
The economy is forecast to have grown at a healthy pace year on year in Q4. Economic confidence strengthened on average in the quarter thanks to improving sentiment in the industrial sector, which saw a smaller reduction in output in October–November compared to Q3. Nevertheless, sticky inflation and an uptick in the unemployment rate likely dampened household spending: Consumer sentiment remained bleak at the tail-end of the year, and retail sales growth softened from July–September’s average in Q4. Meanwhile, goods exports contracted further from Q3’s drop in October–November, pointing to persistent headwinds to external demand. In other news, Central Bank officials stated in January that Bulgaria is on track to meet its 2025 target date to join the Euro area, boding well for investor sentiment.
Projections out to 2033.

53 indicators covered including both annual and quarterly frequencies.

Consensus Forecasts based on a panel of 24 expert analysts.

Want to get insight on the economic outlook for Bulgaria in the coming years? FocusEconomics collects projections out to 2033 on 53 economic indicators for Bulgaria from a panel of 24 analysts at the leading national, regional and global forecast institutions. These projections are then validated by our in-house team of economists and data analysts, and averaged to provide one Consensus Forecast you can rely on for each indicator. This means you avoid the risk of relying on out of date, biased or outlier forecasts. Our Consensus Forecasts can be visualized in whichever way best suits your needs, including via interactive online dashboards , direct data delivery and executive-style reports which combine analysts' projections with timely written analysis from our in-house team of economists on the latest developments in the Bulgaria economy. To download a sample report on the Bulgaria's economy, click here . To get in touch with our team for more information, fill in the form at the bottom of this page .

Bulgaria Datos económicos

2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Población (millones) 7.0 7.0 6.9 6.8 6.8
PIB (en millones de dólares) 66.3 68.9 70.3 84.0 88.9
PIB per cápita (USD) 9,476 9,912 10,158 12,285 13,073
PIB (en millones de euros) 56.2 61.6 61.6 71.1 84.6
PIB per cápita (EUR) 8,032 8,856 8,911 10,392 12,438
PIB (BGN bn) 110.0 120.4 120.6 139.0 165.4
Crecimiento económico (PIB nominal, var. anual) 7.0 9.5 0.1 15.3 19.0
Crecimiento económico (PIB, var. anual) 2.7 4.0 -4.0 7.6 3.4
Demanda interna (% var. anual) 5.5 4.9 0.1 7.8 5.2
Consumo privado (% var. anual) 3.6 5.9 -0.5 8.7 4.7
Consumo público (var. anual) 5.4 2.0 8.3 0.4 6.5
Inversión fija (% var. anual) 5.4 4.5 0.6 -8.3 -4.3
Exportaciones (G&S, % var. anual) 1.7 4.0 -10.4 11.0 8.3
Importaciones (G&S, % var. anual) 5.8 5.2 -4.3 10.9 10.5
Producción industrial (% var. anual) 0.3 0.5 -5.9 9.8 12.7
Ventas al por menor (% var. anual) 3.3 5.6 2.2 10.4 4.1
Desempleo (% de la población activa, aop) 6.2 5.2 6.1 5.3 4.3
Saldo fiscal (% del PIB) 1.7 2.1 -3.8 -3.9 -
Deuda pública (% del PIB) 22.1 20.0 24.5 23.9 -
Dinero (var. anual de M2 %) 8.9 9.9 10.9 10.7 13.2
Inflación (IPC, % var. anual, eop) 2.7 3.8 0.1 7.8 16.9
Inflación (IPC, % var. anual, aop) 2.8 3.1 1.7 3.3 15.3
Inflación (IPP, % var. anual, aop) 4.0 3.1 -1.9 15.3 37.8
Tipo básico (%, eop) 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 1.30
Bolsa (var. anual de SOFIX %) -12.3 -4.4 -21.2 42.0 -5.4
Tipo de cambio (BGN por USD, eop) 1.71 1.74 1.60 1.72 1.83
Tipo de cambio (BGN por EUR, eop) 1.96 1.96 1.96 1.96 1.96
Balanza por cuenta corriente (en millones de euros) 0.5 1.1 0.0 -1.3 -0.6
Balanza por cuenta corriente (% del PIB) 0.9 1.9 0.0 -1.9 -0.7
Balanza comercial de mercancías (en millones de euros) -2.7 -2.9 -1.9 -2.9 -4.9
Exportaciones de mercancías (en millones de euros) 27.7 29.1 27.3 34.4 45.9
Importaciones de mercancías (en millones de euros) 30.4 32.0 29.2 37.3 50.8
Exportaciones de mercancías (% var. anual) 2.9 5.0 -6.3 26.2 33.5
Importaciones de mercancías (% var. anual) 9.8 5.2 -8.8 27.7 36.3
Inversión extranjera directa (en millones de euros) 1.0 1.6 2.8 1.3 -
Reservas internacionales (en millones de euros) 25.1 24.8 30.9 34.6 38.4
Reservas internacionales (meses de importaciones) 9.9 9.3 12.7 11.1 9.1
Deuda externa (en millones de euros) 37.2 37.7 39.3 41.5 43.9
Deuda externa (% del PIB) 66.1 61.3 63.8 58.4 51.9

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