Fitch Ratings has affirmed Bulgaria's long-term foreign-currency issuer default rating (IDR) at 'BBB' with a positive outlook.
Bulgaria's ratings are supported by its strong external and public balance sheets versus 'BBB' peers and a credible policy framework, underpinned by EU membership and a long-standing currency board. In Fitch's view, Bulgaria should meet legal requirements for eurozone accession but the biggest obstacle remains the price stability criterion. HICP inflation in Bulgaria has been running above the rate of the three best performing EU member states since the beginning of the year and is expected to remain elevated throughout 1Q23. “We expect this year's GDP growth to be 3.5% (previous review: 3.0%) due to better-than-expected performance in 1H22 (…) We expect HICP inflation to remain in double digits throughout 1Q23 and to decelerate toward 5.5% yoy by end-2023,” the Fitch rating action commentary reads.
In the first quarter of 2025, the average quarterly total income per household member in Bulgaria was BGN 3,271 (€1,672), marking a 15.2% increase compared to the same period in 2024. This data comes from the Household Budget Survey by the National..
Bulgaria's main trading partners are Germany, Romania, Italy, Greece and France, which account for 62.5% of exports to EU Member States, according to NSI data. In February, exports of goods from this country to the EU decreased by..
The liberalization of the electricity market for household consumers and their entering the free electricity market, something companies did years ago, is being postponed. At least for now. The reform should have entered into effect on 1..
The base interest rate in Bulgaria is decreasing to 1.91% as of July 1, announced the Bulgarian National Bank. The base interest rate is dropping by..
Exactly a week remains until the final decision on Bulgaria's entry into the eurozone – on July 8, the European Parliament is to vote on whether Bulgaria..
At the start of the harvest season, Yanislav Yanchev, the Deputy Minister of Agriculture , predicted that the wheat would be of good quality. The country..
Clear