An overall economic upturn in Bulgaria has been registered in 2016 and 2017, in unison with the upturn in Europe, a survey by the Institute for Market Economics reads.

In 2016 economic growth reached 3.9 percent, in 2017 the official forecast is for a 4 percent growth rate. The employment rate for the 15 to 64 age bracket stands at a record high – 68.5 percent. The growth of the economy and the stable increase in salaries has had its effect on living standards. Nonetheless, the share of the population living below the national poverty line has remained stable, ranging from 21 to 23 percent. The declining demographic picture in the country places a natural restraint on the growth potential of the Bulgarian economy. For two and a half years the real growth rate has not been able to exceed 4 percent, year-on-year. According to recent EC and IMF analyses, which include Bulgaria, the economy is either already functioning at the level of its potential, or is close to it.