On 1 November, the Bulgarian National Bank is raising the base rate for the national currency – Lev – to 3.79%. The base rate in October was 3.64%, and in September 3.53%. Interest rates have been going up since the end of September 2022 when the BNB announced a rate increase from zero percent for September to 0.49% as of 1 October, 2022. By the end of 2022, the annual base rate had reached 1.42%.
Over the first 9 months of the year, the banking system in Bulgaria has registered records-high profits of EUR 1.35 billion (2.7 billion Leva), or 80.5% more compared to the same period of 2022, the BNB says. The impressive profits made by banks in 2023 are due mostly to the significant increase in revenue from interest on loans and higher fees and commissions.
Based on preliminary data, the Finance Ministry expects a deficit of around BGN 6.1 billion ( €3.11 billion), or 3% of the projected gross domestic product (GDP), at the end of 2024. "Estimates suggest that the deficit will show an improvement..
The two most sought-after currencies by Bulgarians in 2024 remain the US dollar and the euro, just as in 2023. The Turkish lira, the Romanian leu and the Serbian dinar were also very popular, followed by the British pound and the Swiss franc. This was..
The overall business climate indicator in Bulgaria has increased in December by 1.7 points from 17 percent to 18.7% compared to November . An increase in the indicator was observed in the industry sector by 1.9 points, in retail trade by 5.7 points and..
In 2024, Bulgaria's exports of goods to third countries decreased by 5.1% compared to 2023, amounting to EUR 15.4 billion (30 114.9 million BGN),..
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