The budget deficit has stopped growing for now at BGN 1.9 billion

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. This was the same amount as in March, when it almost doubled compared to the previous month.

Now, the Ministry of Finance reports that the budget is balanced for April alone. However, the ministry points out that last month, the state budget received a contribution from the Bulgarian National Bank's (BNB) 2024 profits in the amount of BGN 550 million.

Revenues reached BGN 24.5 billion in April, which is BGN 1.8 billion (7.7%) more than in the same period last year. The largest contribution to the positive result came from tax revenues, which increased by BGN 2.4 billion (13.3%) compared to April last year. For the same period, non-tax revenues increased by BGN 0.1 billion, while receipts from aid and donations were down by BGN 0.7 billion.

Expenditures under the Consolidated Fiscal Program (including Bulgaria's contribution to the EU budget) as of April 2025 amounted to BGN 26.4 billion, or BGN 4.2 billion more than in the same period of the previous year. The Ministry of Finance reiterates that in February 2024 the Ministry of Regional Development transferred BGN 1.2 billion to the state budget, i.e. eliminating this transaction, with a view to ensuring comparability of data with 2024, expenditure at the end of April 2025 increases by BGN 3 billion (13.1%) in the main part of social payments, including pension expenditure, as well as in personnel expenditure, subsidies, capital expenditure, and others.

The share of the Republic of Bulgaria's contribution to the EU budget paid as of April 30, 2025, from the central budget amounts to BGN 0.7 billion.

Translated with DeepL.