Bulgaria has retained its position in the 2026 edition of the Global Innovation Index (GII), prepared by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), a specialized agency of the United Nations. Bulgaria ranks 24th in innovation among the 39 European countries covered by the study and 37th globally, with the ranking assessing the development of innovation ecosystems in 139 countries worldwide.
WIPO’s assessment of Bulgaria’s innovation environment has improved to 40.3 points in 2026, up from 39.1 points in 2025. Despite this, the country’s position in the ranking remains unchanged, both regionally and globally.
Bulgaria also retains its second position on the Balkan Peninsula in the 2026 innovation index, with only Slovenia, ranked 35th, ahead of it. This result is identical to that recorded in 2025.
WIPO ranks countries based on seven criteria: institutions, human capital and research, infrastructure, market sophistication, business sophistication, knowledge and technology outputs, and creative outputs.
In terms of institutional support for innovation, Bulgaria ranks 81st, retaining the same position as 2025.
The country has dropped nine places in the human capital and research category, falling from 64th in 2025 to 73rd in 2026.
Bulgaria’s biggest improvement is in the quality of its infrastructure, rising from 22nd place to 10th place in 2026.
It is in infrastructure that Bulgaria performs best compared with other countries worldwide, ranking behind Spain in ninth place and ahead of Hong Kong in 11th place.
Bulgaria ranks 39th globally in market sophistication, down four places from 2025, and 46th in business sophistication, four places higher than its previous ranking.
The country remains in 28th place in knowledge and technology outputs but has dropped three places in creative outputs, ranking 29th in 2026.
Among the 39 European countries covered by the index, Bulgaria ranks 24th, unchanged from 2025.
Bulgaria Ranks Second in the Balkans in WIPO’s 2026 Global Innovation Index THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-09-30 15:16:39
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