ПРОГРАМИ
en de ru fr es sr gr al tr ro
Podcast in English
Share
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Bulgaria could adopt the euro on 1 January 2026, predicts IME

Photo: ЕПА/БГНЕС

On the basis of December inflation data published yesterday by Eurostat, the Institute for Market Economics (IME) forecasts that the country could join the eurozone from 1 January next year.

Compared to December 2024, the average annual inflation in the country is 2.6 per cent, while the lowest in the European Union are: 0.9 per cent in Lithuania, 1 per cent in Finland and 1.1 per cent in Italy. The criterion that Bulgaria has to meet, according to the Maastricht Treaty, is the average of the countries with the lowest inflation plus 1.5 points. This means that Bulgaria's deviation is 0.1 per cent.

"In this sense, as of December 2024, the benchmark has not been met in its pure form," said Petar Ganev of the institute.
There is a parliamentary resolution that obliges Bulgaria to submit a request for an extraordinary assessment within two weeks of formally meeting all the criteria for eurozone membership. The realistic date for joining the single European currency is 1 January 2026, according to the IME.

Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.
Radio Bulgaria News    criteria eurozone ime inflation prognosis

More from category

Government resumes talks with unions and employers after freezing the 2026 budget

'The dialogue between employers and trade unions has been restored. Consultations will begin tomorrow at the Ministry of Finance to iron out all the details. The state is committed to supporting every Bulgarian citizen.' This was written by GERB leader..

published on 11/27/25 2:55 PM

NSI: Bulgarians' international travel increased 15% last year

Bulgarian citizens traveled abroad 829,300 times in October, which is 15% more than in October 2024 , according to the National Statistical Institute. The most popular destinations were Turkey, Greece, Serbia, Romania, Germany, North Macedonia,..

published on 11/27/25 2:39 PM

State-owned enterprises to combat corruption through an integrity officer

The National Assembly has introduced a new requirement for state-owned enterprises to implement corruption risk management systems, which will also include appointing an integrity officer. The measure is recommended by the Organisation for Economic..

published on 11/27/25 1:30 PM

WEATHER
Pick city: Sofía
Mostly Cloudy
Min: -3 | Max: 11
Mostly Cloudy
Min: 2 | Max: 11
Mostly Cloudy
Min: 2 | Max: 11
Fog
Min: -1 | Max: 5
Partly Cloudy
Min: -3 | Max: 8
Partly Cloudy
Min: -1 | Max: 10
Partly Cloudy
Min: -4 | Max: 7
Mostly Cloudy
Min: -3 | Max: 10
Mostly Cloudy
Min: -2 | Max: 10
Mostly Cloudy
Min: -6 | Max: 9
Partly Cloudy
Min: -3 | Max: 9
Fog
Min: -2 | Max: 6
Mostly Cloudy
Min: -3 | Max: 8
Mostly Cloudy
Min: -4 | Max: 8
Cloudy
Min: -2 | Max: 8
Mostly Cloudy
Min: -4 | Max: 8
Cloudy
Min: -4 | Max: 8
Fog
Min: 0 | Max: 6
Fog
Min: -2 | Max: 12
Mostly Cloudy
Min: 0 | Max: 10
Mostly Cloudy
Min: -4 | Max: 8
Mostly Cloudy
Min: -4 | Max: 8
Mostly Cloudy
Min: -2 | Max: 9
Cloudy
Min: -3 | Max: 8
Mostly Cloudy
Min: -2 | Max: 9
Cloudy
Min: -2 | Max: 8
Mostly Cloudy
Min: -2 | Max: 10
BULGARIA IN PICTURES
Which world-famous Bulgarian artist designed QSL cards for Radio Bulgaria?
Yasen Gyuzelev
Theodore Ushev
Christo Javacheff - Christo
Ilia Peikov
Lika Yanko

BULGARIANS ABROAD

Български English Русский Deutsch Српски Français Ελληνικά Español Shqip Türkçe Română

english@bnr.bg

+359 2 9336 661

Общи условия за използване на сайта | Политика за поверителност | Политика за "бисквитки"