Transportation, restaurants and hotels drive up inflation in August

Prices of goods and services in Bulgaria continued to rise in August driven by rising fuel and tourism costs as well as certain administrative fee increases. According to flash estimates from the National Statistical Institute (NSI), the annual rate of inflation in the country stands at 5.1%, compared to the 4.5% reported a month earlier. On a monthly basis consumer prices rose by 0.6% last month, marking a slight slowdown compared to the 0.8% increase recorded in July.

The main driver of inflation in August was transportation, where prices jumped by 6.3%. This category is directly influenced by fuel prices, which began rising again following the escalation of the conflict in the Persian Gulf and oil prices remaining steadily above $90 per bbl throughout the month.

NSI statistics also show that personal care and various goods and services are becoming more expensive (0.9%). Restaurant and hotel services were among the fastest-rising categories during the busiest summer month of the year (0.8%) as were alcoholic beverages and tobacco products (0.8%) for which the excise tax rate changed at the beginning of August.

Flash estimates provide the earliest snapshot of inflation in the country for the past month. They are calculated based on recorded prices, which represent approximately 90% of all planned registrations for the reporting month. The remaining registrations are included in the calculation of consumer price indices based on final data; therefore there may be a discrepancy between today’s figures and the final estimates.

The trend is different for the Small Basket Price Index (SBPI), which tracks goods and services for the lowest-income 20% of households. It is expected to show a monthly decrease of 0.2%, with an annual change of 1.6%. For these households food prices are falling by 0.4%, non-food goods by 0.1% while services are rising slightly by 0.1%.

Complete inflation data from the NSI are expected on September 15, 2026.

Where Do We Stand in Europe in Terms of Price Growth

Today the European statistical office Eurostat also published data on inflation in the eurozone. According to the data Bulgaria remains in the top 3 in terms of price growth, trailing only Lithuania and Cyprus. At the bottom of the list are Estonia, Malta and Finland.

Translated with DeepL.