February 2026 brought quite a few interesting nuances to the Bulgarian economy, according to the latest data from the National Statistical Institute (NSI). The overall business climate remains almost unchanged compared to January, with a slight increase of 17.4%. But what lies beneath the surface? What do entrepreneurs expect in the different sectors? Let's see.
Industry: Optimism and Concerns
In industry, we note a slight increase – from 15.5% to 16.3%. Managers are pleased with the current state of business, but are a little more reserved regarding current production activity. However, more importantly, the expectations for the next three months are positive. Interesting, isn't it?
What worries industrialists? The uncertain economic environment and the shortage of labor remain serious challenges, with almost half of the companies pointing to this. Regarding prices - they predict stability. No changes. What should we think about this?
Construction: Decline and Hopes
The construction sector reports a decline of 1.4 percentage points, which is somewhat understandable, given the reserved expectations of builders. However, there are a few more orders and positive prospects for activity in the near future. This is perhaps something that gives hope.
What are the problems? Uncertainty, lack of workers, and the prices of materials are the biggest obstacles. The good news is that the influence of the first two factors is decreasing. We'll see if this is a trend.
Retail Trade: Confidence and Challenges
In retail trade, optimism is growing – an increase of 1.7 percentage points. Traders are more confident in the development of the business over the next six months and expect more sales and orders. This sounds good, doesn't it?
What are the obstacles? Competition, uncertainty, and insufficient demand remain major problems. And prices? Traders expect a slight increase. This will affect our wallets.
Services Sector: Stability and Expectations
In the services sector, there is no change compared to January. But managers are looking more optimistically at the development of their business in the next six months. They also expect more demand. Will they?
Again – uncertainty and competition are major problems. But 86.7% of managers expect prices to remain the same. Is this enough for a stable business?
So, what do these data show us? A mixed picture. There are growths in some sectors, declines in others. What will happen in the coming months remains to be seen. How will the Bulgarian economy cope with these challenges? Will optimism prevail?