Late on Friday evening, the Ministry of Finance published the new version of the Draft State Budget for 2026 and the updated Medium-Term Budget Forecast
Higher growth in Bulgaria's gross domestic product (GDP), a slowdown in inflation, but also a budget deficit that will exceed the eurozone's 3% limit
The Ministry of Finance has published the draft budget for 2026, which shows that a 3% budget deficit is again being targeted
At this stage, we have not seen a more detailed draft, but our understanding is that the Bulgarian authorities are aiming for a budget deficit below or within 3% next year
The budget deficit grew at an increasingly rapid pace, reaching BGN 4.3 billion at the end of July. This is equal to 2% of the expected size of the economy in 2025
Tax increases in Bulgaria are inevitable, according to Simeon Djankov, chairman of the Fiscal Council
Commercial banks have come to the aid of Finance Minister Temenuzhka Petkova in her attempt to “patch up” the growing budget deficit
Finance Minister Temenuzhka Petkova cited the law to explain why the ministry has not yet published preliminary information on budget implementation for May
The budget deficit at the end of April was BGN 1.9 billion, or 0.9% of the forecast gross domestic product (GDP), according to preliminary data from the Ministry of Finance
The news was announced by Prime Minister Zhelyazkov during a joint briefing with EU Council President Antonio Costa
The size of the country's budget deficit is over 3 billion euros
Bulgaria’s 2025 public budget will have to cover payments of 2 billion euros that were postponed in 2024. These are delayed expenses for which invoices
The 2025 budget will have a deficit of up to 3% and expenditures of up to 40% of GDP. This was assured at a briefing by Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov
This is contrary to the concerns surrounding the huge planned expenditures in the 2025 Budget
The Bulgarian budget deficit shrunk by almost 150 million euros in November, but it still remains high, according to the preliminary estimates of the Ministry of Finance
