Bulgaria registered 7,968 new companies in the third quarter of 2026, 31% fewer than a year earlier, the National Statistical Institute (NSI) said today. A total of 791 firms entered insolvency or bankruptcy proceedings, including those declared insolvent. That is 22.1% fewer than a year ago.

Both figures fell faster than in the second quarter, when new firms were down 9.2% on the year and bankruptcies were down 17.7%.

Compared with the second quarter, new registrations fell 29.7%, and firms in insolvency or bankruptcy fell 18.1%. Between April and June, the NSI counted 11,334 new firms and 966 in insolvency or bankruptcy proceedings. That was 8.9% fewer new firms and 5.9% fewer bankruptcies than in the first quarter.

Trade and repair of cars and motorcycles is the biggest sector in both groups. It accounts for 84.4% of new firms and 90% of those declared insolvent.