RATE 2025: Which are the leading banks in Bulgaria?

Banks form the circulatory system of the economy. We have heard this cliché many times, but as we know, clichés exist because they often point to the truth. Banks ensure the movement of financial resources that support the vital functions of the economy – ensuring investment, consumption, growth and stability.

The enormous importance of banks for businesses and households also implies great attention to their activities. And when we add a few more factors, such as an exceptional year for the financial indicators of this system and the "intrigue" at the top of the asset ranking, it seems like this is the right time for Economic.bg to launch its annual digital edition "Leading Banks 2025”.

It is part of the larger RATE project, with which we aim to rank the leaders in various sectors of the Bulgarian economy, analyze the dynamics in the different industries, and present market trends.

What to expect from RATE?

Research, Analysis, Trends by Economic.bg (RATE).

In the digital edition “Leading Banks 2025” (in Bulgarian) you will find out which financial institutions on the Bulgarian market are topping the ranking by assets for 2024. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. There will also be analyses of the Bulgarian banking market for last year and the latest trends. There will be attempts to answer how Bulgaria's accession to the eurozone, which is set to happen on January 1, 2026, will affect its economy.

"Leading Banks 2025” brings together key representatives of the Bulgarian banking sector, who are also the main decision makers in it. In the coming days and week, you’ll be able to read (in English) interviews with these business leaders. 

Assoc. Prof. Petar Chobanov, Deputy Governor of the BNB and Head of the Banking Department, will present the readiness of the Bulgarian financial system to become part of the euro, as well as the regulatory and technological changes that are happening or are about to happen.

Likewise, don’t miss out the interviews with Teodor Marinov, Executive Director of Finance of United Bulgarian Bank, which is this year's asset leader in Bulgaria, as well as with Tamás Hak-Kovács, CEO of DSK Bank - the institution that garnered the most support from Economic.bg readers, in a recent online poll. Both executives presented their views on the banking market, the expected trends and the priorities that the big players will focus on.

Another exciting interview will be the one conducted with Kamelia Mineva, Executive Director of ProCredit Bank, who shared the stories of becoming “a different bank” beyond stereotypes and clichés. In other words, a bank focused on customer satisfaction and creating trends.

These days, a leader is mostly someone who is flexible, who can make changes, who creates trends," says Ms. Mineva.

For ProCredit Bank, customer feedback is an essential aspect because its employees ask themselves: "How can we understand the customer's needs, their difficulties, their goals, if we are not close to them and do not speak the same language?"

Customers are also the focus of Postbank, which has demonstrated its commitment to them by introducing a new generation digital banking tool, such as e-Postbank and m-Postbank.

The bank has the grand ambition, announced by CEO Petya Dimitrova, to become a "technology company with a banking license."

Another financial institution with a strong focus on digitalization is iBank. In our interview, its Executive Director of Finance, Zhivko Todorov, talks about the bank's significant achievements in corporate and mortgage lending in 2024. According to him, this is a combination of "strategic decisions and innovations".

And when we talk about consumers, their security, their awareness and overall market activity, we cannot do without credit intermediaries. We sat down for a conversation with Silvia Tomova, founder and manager of Privilege Consulting Services, a boutique company specializing in the field of credit intermediation for individuals and legal entities.

That interview is a real guide for the consumer who wants to make the right, informed decisions when using banking services. The company is a newcomer on the market but already has many satisfied customers and large deals in its portfolio.

Translated by Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov