Bulgaria's gross foreign debt rose 26.4% over the past year to reach 69.8143 billion euros at the end of July, according to preliminary data from the Bulgarian National Bank.
The figure equals 56.1% of expected gross domestic product. A year earlier, at the end of July 2025, foreign debt stood at 55.2423 billion euros, or 47.6% of GDP - a rise of 14.572 billion euros.
Short-term debt, money due within a year, is growing fastest. It now stands at 19.3626 billion euros, 27.7% of total foreign debt and 15.5% of GDP. That's up 10.1003 billion euros, or 109%, over the year. A year earlier it was 9.2624 billion euros, 16.8% of the debt and 8% of GDP.
Long-term debt stands at 50.4517 billion euros, 72.3% of the debt and 40.5% of GDP - up 4.4718 billion euros, or 9.7%, from 45.9799 billion euros a year earlier, when it made up 83.2% of the debt.
Debt due in more than a year totals 40.3172 billion euros, 57.7% of gross foreign debt. Debt in euros makes up 72.6% of the total, down from 80% a year ago.
The government owes the most, 27% of foreign debt, down from 32.2% at the end of the same month last year. Its debt stands at 18.846 billion euros, 15.1% of GDP - up 1.0508 billion euros, or 5.9%.
The central bank's foreign debt jumped to 10.6042 billion euros from 1.8892 billion euros, a rise of 8.715 billion euros. The jump came from the distribution of euro banknotes within the Eurosystem after Bulgaria joined the eurozone on 1 January this year.
Banks and money market funds owe 11.3979 billion euros abroad, 9.2% of GDP - up 3.6863 billion euros, or 47.8%, on the year. Other sectors owe 14.8407 billion euros, 11.9% of GDP, up 586.6 million euros, or 4.1%, from a year earlier.
Lending between related companies stands at 14.1255 billion euros, 11.3% of GDP - up 533.3 million euros, or 3.9%.