Consumer prices in Bulgaria fell 0.3% in September 2026 compared with August. But they were 5.6% higher than in September last year, according to a flash estimate from the National Statistical Institute.
The sharpest monthly drop was in "recreation, sport and culture", down 10.4%. Restaurants and hotels were 1.1% cheaper, while home furnishings, household goods and maintenance fell 0.5%.
Transport saw the biggest price rise, up 3.4% on the month. Education costs rose 3.2%, and alcohol and tobacco went up 1.1%.
Under the harmonised index, used to compare prices across European Union countries, prices fell 0.1% on the month, while annual inflation also stood at 5.6%. On this measure, restaurants and hotels dropped the most, down 4.3%, followed by recreation, sport and culture, down 3.3%, and home furnishings and household goods, down 0.2%. Education costs rose 3.2%, transport 1.7%, and alcohol and tobacco 1%.
The "small basket", which tracks prices for the poorest 20% of households, rose 0.2% compared with August and 1.9% over the year. Food in the basket cost 0.7% more, services 0.1% more, while non-food goods fell 0.7%.
In August, the statistical institute's flash estimates showed monthly inflation of 0.6% and annual inflation of 5.1%, and the final figures matched those early readings. Before September, the only month with falling prices was June, when prices dropped 0.9% compared with May.