Bulgaria’s budget deficit is expected to reach EUR 3.6 billion by the end of September, based on preliminary data and estimates, the Ministry of Finance said on Thursday. The budget balance under the Consolidated Fiscal Programme is expected to amount to 2.8% of projected gross domestic product (GDP) at the end of September, according to the Ministry.
Revenue, grants and donations under the programme are projected to total EUR 33.9 billion by September, equivalent to 68.4% of the annual estimates set out in Bulgaria’s 2026 State Budget Act. This represents an increase of EUR 3.4 billion, or 11%, compared with the same period in 2025.
The ministry attributed the increase primarily to tax revenue, which rose by EUR 2.4 billion, or 9.8%, in nominal terms compared with September 2025, and to higher receipts from grants and donations, which increased by EUR 1.5 billion. Non-tax revenue was EUR 600 million lower than a year earlier, mainly due to reduced dividend income from state-owned enterprises in 2026.
Expenditure under the Consolidated Fiscal Programme, including Bulgaria’s contribution to the EU budget, totalled EUR 37.5 billion by September 2026, representing 66.1% of the annual estimates. By comparison, expenditure under the programme stood at EUR 33.7 billion at the end of September 2025.
According to the Finance Ministry, spending increased mainly on social and health insurance payments, including pensions, as well as personnel costs, capital expenditure and other items.
The main factors behind the rise included higher pension expenditure following indexation under the Swiss rule on July 1, 2025, and July 1, 2026; an increase in the minimum wage in January 2026; and pay rises reflecting accumulated inflation in 2025, also effective from January 2026.
The Ministry also reported a significant increase in capital expenditure, driven by the implementation of investments and projects under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan and the Municipal Investment Programme, among other factors.
Bulgaria’s contribution to the EU budget paid from the central budget by September 30, 2026, amounted to EUR 900 million, in accordance with the legislation on the EU’s own resources currently in force.
The Finance Ministry said on Wednesday that Bulgaria’s budget deficit had reached EUR 3.075 billion on a cash basis by the end of August, equivalent to 2.4% of projected GDP, BTA recalls.
The budget balance under the Consolidated Fiscal Programme had deteriorated by approximately EUR 900 million compared with a month earlier, when the deficit stood at EUR 2.2 billion, or 1.8% of projected GDP. The ministry attributed the deterioration mainly to a concentration of substantial investment payments under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan.
Bulgaria’s 2026 State Budget Act provides for a deficit of 5.7% of GDP.
Bulgaria’s Budget Deficit Expected to Reach EUR 3.6 Bln by End-September, Finance Ministry Says THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-10-01 17:10:08
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