
Small Is Beautiful
Encouraged by government stimulus programs, banks are finding new ways to finance SMEs. Once the economy recovers, will the surge of interest recede?
Browse additional economic indicators and data sets, selected by Global Finance editors, to learn more about Bulgaria economic outlook, debt to GDP ratio, international trade performance and population trends. Rankings of Bulgaria best banks and safest banks are also available.
The governor of the Bulgarian National Bank speaks with Global Finance.
USD 28.7 billion (2018)
International Monetary Fund (IMF), data retrieved October 2019
USD 65.0 billion (2018, estimate)
Intl$ 162.3 billion (2018, estimate)
2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
7.3% | 6% | -3.6% | 1.3% | 1.9% | 0% | 0.5% |
2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018* | ||
1.8% | 3.5% | 3.9% | 3.8% | 3.2% |
*Estimate
1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2019* |
0.31% | 0.28% | 0.12% | 0.13% | 0.12% |
*Estimate
(2018 estimate)
2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018* | 2019* |
-1.1% | -1.3% | 1.2% | 2.6% | 2.5% |
*Estimate
2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018* | 2019* |
9.2% | 7.7% | 6.2% | 5.3% | 4.9% |
*Estimate
2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018* | 2019* |
125.6% | 27.4% | 23.3% | 20.4% | 19.2% |
*Estimate
2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018* | 2019* |
-2.8% | 1.6% | 0.8% | 0.1% | -2% |
*Estimate
Standard & Poor's: BBB-
Moody's: Baa2
Standard & Poor's / Moody's
2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
N/A | N/A | N/A |
0.03% (2017 estimate)
64.1% (2015)
0.2% (2015)
0.2% (2015)
Clothing, footwear, iron and steel, machinery and equipment, fuels
Machinery and equipment; metals and ores; chemicals and plastics; fuels, minerals, and raw materials
Germany 12.5%, Italy 9.2%, Turkey 8.5%, Romania 8.2%, Greece 6.5%, France 4.2% (2015)
Germany 12.9%, Russia 12%, Italy 7.6%, Romania 6.8%, Turkey 5.7%, Greece 4.8%, Spain 4.8% (2015)
2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
USD 1,837 million | USD 1,777 million | USD 1,774 million |
2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
USD 187 million | USD 613 million | USD 86 million |
2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
N/A | USD -0.1 million | USD 10.5 million | N/A |
N/A
N/A
Economies are ranked on their ease of doing business. A high ease of doing business ranking means the regulatory environment is more conducive to the starting and operation of a local firm.
Overall ranking: 39 out of 190 countries (2016)
Subcategories:
Starting a business: 82 out of 190 countries
Enforcing Contracts: 49 out of 190 countries
Registering Property: 60 out of 190 countries
Getting credit: 32 out of 190 countries
Protecting investors: 13 out of 190 countries
Trading across border: 21 out of 190 countries
Paying Taxes: 83 out of 190 countries
Dealing with Construction Permits: 48 out of 190 countries
Getting Electricity: 104 out of 190 countries
Resolving Insolvency: 48 out of 190 countries
50 out of 138 countries
(2016-2017)
Ranking: 60 / Score: 65.86 (Moderately free) (2017) (100=totally free 0=totally repressed)
Bulgarian (official) 76.8%, Turkish 8.2%, Roma 3.8%, other 0.7%, unspecified 10.5% (2011 est.)
Eastern Orthodox 59.4%, Muslim 7.8%, other (including Catholic, Protestant, Armenian Apostolic Orthodox, and Jewish) 1.7%, none 3.7%, unspecified 27.4% (2011 est.)
1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2016* | 2021* |
8.718 million | 8.15 million | 7.505 million | 7.114 million | 6.917 million |
*Estimate
1960 | 1980 | 2000 | 2015 |
37% | 62% | 69% | 74% |
Total population: 98.4%
Male: 98.7%
Female: 98.1% (2015 est.)
(age 15 and over can read and write)
1.7% (2012)
36.0 (2012)
(0=perfect equality, 100=absolute inequality)
Political Rights: 2
Civil Liberties: 2 (2017)
(1 represents the most free, 7 the least free rating)
Fixed 23.27% Mobile 129.27% (2015)
(fixed-telephone subscribers and mobile-cellular subscribers)