Bulgaria's economy in data
How are incomes, prices, the housing market and credit changing?
This page brings together the indicators that bear most directly on everyday life and compares Bulgaria's price level with the EU average. The figures are economy-wide averages.
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| Indicator | Latest value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Nominal average gross monthly wage, index | 180.8 | June 2026 |
| HICP, index | 105.9 | August 2026 |
| Real average gross monthly wage, index | 132.7 | June 2026 |
The real change is the ratio of the two indices, not the difference between two percentages. The average gross wage is an average across all employees, not the income of any particular household.
Sources: NSI: Average wages and salaries; Eurostat: ei_cphi_m; NSI + Eurostat
| Indicator | Latest value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Real average gross monthly wage, index | 132.7 | June 2026 |
| Real average gross monthly wage | +3.7% | June 2026 |
| Nominal average gross monthly wage, index | 180.8 | June 2026 |
| HICP, index | 105.9 | August 2026 |
The real wage is the nominal wage divided by the HICP. The index refers to the average wage and does not describe the purchasing power of any particular household.
Sources: NSI: Average wages and salaries; Eurostat: ei_cphi_m; NSI + Eurostat
| Indicator | Latest value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Food and non-alcoholic beverages, index | 101.7 | August 2026 |
| Alcoholic beverages, tobacco and narcotics, index | 106.9 | August 2026 |
| Clothing and footwear, index | 97.3 | August 2026 |
| Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels, index | 106.1 | August 2026 |
| Furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance, index | 101.3 | August 2026 |
| Health, index | 100.8 | August 2026 |
| Transport, index | 114.1 | August 2026 |
| Information and communication, index | 100.1 | August 2026 |
| Recreation, sport and culture, index | 110.3 | August 2026 |
| Education services, index | 107.9 | August 2026 |
| Restaurants and accommodation services, index | 114.8 | August 2026 |
| Insurance and financial services, index | 100.4 | August 2026 |
| Personal care, social protection and miscellaneous goods and services, index | 109.8 | August 2026 |
| HICP, index | 105.9 | August 2026 |
Cumulative change from the indices, by ECOICOP 2 group. "Since 2019" is relative to the 2019 average, the same base as the wage figures above.
Source: Eurostat: ei_cphi_m
| Indicator | Latest value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| House price index | 272.6 | Q1 2026 |
| Nominal average gross monthly wage, index | 180.8 | June 2026 |
| HICP, index | 105.9 | August 2026 |
House prices are quarterly; wages and the HICP are monthly. For the comparison the monthly series are averaged by quarter, and all three are read in the same quarter.
Sources: Eurostat: prc_hpi_q, ei_cphi_m; NSI: Average wages and salaries
| Indicator | Latest value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| House prices relative to wages (2021 = 100) | 102.0 | Q1 2026 |
Above 100: house prices have outpaced wages relative to 2019; below 100, the reverse. This is not a measure of affordability, which also depends on the interest rate, the down payment, the loan term, disposable income and household circumstances.
Source: Eurostat + NSI
| Indicator | Latest value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| House prices | +14.8% | Q1 2026 |
| Building permits (gross floor area) | +14.6% | Q2 2026 |
Building permits record planned construction, not completed homes: permits precede completed construction and do not measure current housing supply. Showing the two lines side by side does not claim a causal link.
Sources: Eurostat: prc_hpi_q, sts_cobp_q
| Indicator | Latest value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Loans to households and NPISHs | +20.8% | July 2026 |
| Deposits of households and NPISHs | +17.8% | July 2026 |
Growth in bank deposits is not the same as household saving. The sector is "Households and NPISHs" in the BNB's monetary statistics.
Source: BNB: Monetary statistics: loans and deposits
| Indicator | Latest value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Loans for house purchase, annual change | +25.7% | July 2026 |
| Consumer loans, annual change | +15.4% | July 2026 |
| Loans for house purchase, share | 59.2% | July 2026 |
| Consumer loans, share | 37.6% | July 2026 |
| Overdraft, share | 2.2% | July 2026 |
| Other loans to households, share | 0.9% | July 2026 |
The four categories cover the whole of lending to households and NPISHs.
Source: BNB: Monetary statistics: loans and deposits
| Indicator | Latest value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Interest rate on new loans for house purchase | 2.4% | July 2026 |
| APRC on new loans for house purchase | 2.8% | July 2026 |
| Interest rate on new consumer loans | 9.1% | July 2026 |
| APRC on new consumer loans | 9.4% | July 2026 |
The APRC includes interest and related charges. The data are for new business. Renegotiated and refinanced loans are part of the total volume of new business. From January 2026 the statistics are for loans in euro, and the BNB notes a break in comparability with earlier periods.
Source: BNB: Interest rate statistics
| Indicator | Latest value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| House price index | 272.6 | Q1 2026 |
| Nominal average gross monthly wage, index | 180.8 | June 2026 |
| Interest rate on new loans for house purchase | 2.4% | July 2026 |
Three different measures: there is no common vertical axis and no composite indicator.
Sources: Eurostat: prc_hpi_q; NSI: Average wages and salaries; BNB: Interest rate statistics
| Indicator | Latest value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Wage: Agriculture, forestry and fishing (level) | 1,040.0 EUR | June 2026 |
| Wage: Mining and quarrying (level) | 1,883.0 EUR | June 2026 |
| Wage: Manufacturing (level) | 1,243.0 EUR | June 2026 |
| Wage: Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply (level) | 2,004.0 EUR | June 2026 |
| Wage: Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities (level) | 1,059.0 EUR | June 2026 |
| Wage: Construction (level) | 1,184.0 EUR | June 2026 |
| Wage: Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (level) | 1,254.0 EUR | June 2026 |
| Wage: Transportation and storage (level) | 1,274.0 EUR | June 2026 |
| Wage: Accommodation and food service activities (level) | 896.0 EUR | June 2026 |
| Wage: Information and communication (level) | 3,117.0 EUR | June 2026 |
| Wage: Financial and insurance activities (level) | 2,065.0 EUR | June 2026 |
| Wage: Real estate activities (level) | 1,285.0 EUR | June 2026 |
| Wage: Professional, scientific and technical activities (level) | 1,962.0 EUR | June 2026 |
| Wage: Administrative and support service activities (level) | 1,207.0 EUR | June 2026 |
| Wage: Public administration (level) | 1,489.0 EUR | June 2026 |
| Wage: Education (level) | 1,475.0 EUR | June 2026 |
| Wage: Human health and social work activities (level) | 1,407.0 EUR | June 2026 |
| Wage: Arts, entertainment and recreation (level) | 1,253.0 EUR | June 2026 |
| Wage: Other service activities (level) | 1,060.0 EUR | June 2026 |
| Wage: Agriculture, forestry and fishing (annual change) | +18.1% | June 2026 |
| Wage: Mining and quarrying (annual change) | +20.9% | June 2026 |
| Wage: Manufacturing (annual change) | +11.0% | June 2026 |
| Wage: Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply (annual change) | +9.3% | June 2026 |
| Wage: Water supply; sewerage, waste management and remediation activities (annual change) | +8.1% | June 2026 |
| Wage: Construction (annual change) | +8.7% | June 2026 |
| Wage: Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (annual change) | +12.4% | June 2026 |
| Wage: Transportation and storage (annual change) | +12.7% | June 2026 |
| Wage: Accommodation and food service activities (annual change) | +12.4% | June 2026 |
| Wage: Information and communication (annual change) | +7.3% | June 2026 |
| Wage: Financial and insurance activities (annual change) | +10.2% | June 2026 |
| Wage: Real estate activities (annual change) | +2.1% | June 2026 |
| Wage: Professional, scientific and technical activities (annual change) | +10.3% | June 2026 |
| Wage: Administrative and support service activities (annual change) | +8.8% | June 2026 |
| Wage: Public administration (annual change) | +3.7% | June 2026 |
| Wage: Education (annual change) | +2.6% | June 2026 |
| Wage: Human health and social work activities (annual change) | +5.0% | June 2026 |
| Wage: Arts, entertainment and recreation (annual change) | +6.4% | June 2026 |
| Wage: Other service activities (annual change) | +16.0% | June 2026 |
| Average gross monthly wage | 1,421.0 EUR | June 2026 |
| Wage, annual change | +9.1% | June 2026 |
Average gross monthly wages and salaries of employees under labour and civil service contracts, by economic activity (NACE Rev. 2). The top ten of all nineteen activities are shown for the selected view; the two views are ranked separately, so they contain different activities. The economy-wide average covers all activities.
Source: NSI: Average wages and salaries
| Indicator | Latest value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Price level: Food and non-alcoholic beverages | 92.6 | 2025 |
| Price level: Alcoholic beverages and tobacco | 69.9 | 2025 |
| Price level: Clothing and footwear | 78.0 | 2025 |
| Price level: Housing, water, electricity and fuels | 40.6 | 2025 |
| Price level: Furnishings and household maintenance | 77.9 | 2025 |
| Price level: Health | 46.6 | 2025 |
| Price level: Transport | 69.7 | 2025 |
| Price level: Information and communication | 100.9 | 2025 |
| Price level: Recreation, sport and culture | 66.0 | 2025 |
| Price level: Education services | 62.6 | 2025 |
| Price level: Restaurants and accommodation services | 55.7 | 2025 |
| Price level: Miscellaneous goods and services | 62.2 | 2025 |
| Price level (COICOP 1999): Food and non-alcoholic beverages | 88.8 | 2024 |
| Price level (COICOP 1999): Alcoholic beverages and tobacco | 69.0 | 2024 |
| Price level (COICOP 1999): Clothing and footwear | 79.1 | 2024 |
| Price level (COICOP 1999): Housing, water, electricity and fuels | 38.1 | 2024 |
| Price level (COICOP 1999): Furnishings and household maintenance | 75.0 | 2024 |
| Price level (COICOP 1999): Health | 44.3 | 2024 |
| Price level (COICOP 1999): Transport | 72.0 | 2024 |
| Price level (COICOP 1999): Information and communication | 82.8 | 2024 |
| Price level (COICOP 1999): Recreation, sport and culture | 68.2 | 2024 |
| Price level (COICOP 1999): Education services | 51.6 | 2024 |
| Price level (COICOP 1999): Restaurants and accommodation services | 53.2 | 2024 |
| Price level (COICOP 1999): Miscellaneous goods and services | 59.2 | 2024 |
The same figures as on the "Catching up with the EU" page. The line at 100 is the EU average.
Sources: Eurostat: prc_ppp_ind_1, prc_ppp_ind
| Indicator | Latest value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| AIC per capita in PPS: Bulgaria | 77.0 | 2025 |
AIC also includes individual services provided or paid for by the state, such as health care and education. The full story of convergence is on the "Catching up with the EU" page.
Source: Eurostat: prc_ppp_ind_1