Bulgarian economy grows 2.7% in Q2 2026, outpacing EU average

Bulgaria’s economy grew by 2.7% on an annual basis during the second quarter of 2026, according to express estimates from the National Statistical Institute. This growth rate places Bulgaria in fifth place among European Union nations, tying with Spain.

On a quarterly basis, the Bulgarian economy increased by 0.6% compared to the January-March period. This performance exceeds the overall EU growth of 0.5% and the Eurozone growth of 0.4% for the same period. While the annual growth rate is more than double the EU average, recent data indicates a slight deceleration in momentum; the annual growth rate was 2.9% in both the fourth quarter of 2025 and the first quarter of 2026.

The primary drivers of this expansion are domestic consumption, which rose by 7.6% compared to the second quarter of 2025, and gross fixed capital formation, which grew by 8%. Conversely, external trade showed a different trend, with exports of goods and services decreasing by 2.8% and imports increasing by 6.9% on an annual basis.