Bulgaria at the bottom of the EU budget deficit ranking
Eurostat data for the first quarter of 2026 reveals an alarming trend for Bulgarian public finances. Our country reports a seasonally adjusted budget deficit of 7.6% of GDP, which places us in the last position for this indicator in the entire European Union.
"The deterioration of the indicator by 5.1 percentage points compared to the previous quarter is the largest negative jump among all EU countries," the statistical agency's report states.
Where do we stand compared to others?
- Bulgaria: -7.6%
- Hungary: -6.6%
- Poland: -5.9%
- France: -5.1%
For comparison, the average deficit levels in the eurozone and the EU remain significantly lower, amounting to 3.1% of GDP. While most European economies are seeing cost optimization and a slight decline in deficits, Bulgaria shows a significant divergence from the pan-European trend.
What does the data for the eurozone show?
During the January-March 2026 period, total government revenue in the eurozone reached 47.1% of GDP, while expenditure amounted to 50.2%. A slight stabilization is observed, supported by the increase in nominal GDP, which offsets adjustments in government spending.
The situation in Bulgaria remains under observation, with analysts shifting their focus to the measures that will be taken to curb the fiscal imbalance in the coming months.