UBB: January 1, 2026 remains a promising date for the euro

Bulgaria meets all quantitative criteria for membership of the eurozone and 1 January 2026 remains a promising date. This is stated by the UBB in its monthly economic bulletin.

We are awaiting the convergence reports of the EC and the ECB in early June, which will assess Bulgaria's actual readiness to adopt the euro and will be key for the final political decision, including the possible date, on the part of the EU," said the bank's chief economist, Dr. Emil Kalchev.

Тhe latest data showed that in April Bulgaria met the price criterion for eurozone membership for the third consecutive month. At that time, the average annual inflation rate in the country was 2.7%, with a maximum permissible level of 2.8%.

The year 2025 started with relatively high economic growth (3.1%), which was again driven by final consumption. It grew by 7.1% in real terms, with a dominant share in the GDP structure (85%).

As Economic.bg reported earlier, unemployment in the country is falling, while wages continue to rise.

One of the main factors driving wages up is the relatively high GDP growth in the first quarter, creating conditions for companies to increase their employees' remuneration," the report says.

According to the report, the higher wage growth in the private sector (12.4%) is “a sign of intense competition in the labor market.” By comparison, the increase in the public sector was 7.3%.