Balgarianovinite.com Bulgaria remains among the countries with the lowest prices in the European Union, but inflation continues to be felt strongly because of lower incomes and the large share of household budgets spent on food, speakers said during the conference “Open About Prices 2.0”, organized by the Bulgarian subsidiary of German supermarket chain Lidl, in Sofia on Tuesday.
Lidl Bulgaria CEO Milena Dragijska said harmonized annual inflation in Bulgaria reached 6.3% in May 2026, compared with around 3-3.2% in the euro area. Food inflation in the euro area remained relatively low, while Bulgaria’s overall inflation was driven mainly by rising services prices. Monthly data for May showed virtually no overall inflation and a 0.4% decline in food prices.
According to Dragijska, price pressures continue to stem from higher energy, transport and logistics costs, as well as strong wage growth. She noted that average wages in Bulgaria have nearly doubled since 2021, boosting both production costs and consumer demand. Bulgaria also remains dependent on imported raw materials, meaning part of its inflation is effectively imported from abroad.
She stressed that Bulgarian households spend nearly 30% of their budgets on food and non-alcoholic beverages, compared with around 16% in the euro area, making price increases more noticeable for consumers.
Lidl Bulgaria Merchandise Supply Manager Dragomir Iliev said prices in the retailer’s stores rose by an average of 4.55% year-on-year in May, below the National Statistical Institute’s reported inflation rate of 4.9%. The sharpest increase was recorded for fruit and vegetables, up nearly 14%, due to adverse weather conditions, limited irrigation infrastructure and reliance on imports.
The company reported that exports of Bulgarian products through Lidl’s international network reached EUR 66.4 million in 2025. According to Lidl Bulgaria, deliveries from Bulgarian suppliers increased by 50% between 2023 and 2025, demonstrating the growing competitiveness of local producers on European markets.
The retailer also announced a proposal for a Food Sovereignty Pact aimed at bringing together institutions, producers, retailers and industry organizations to strengthen Bulgaria’s food security, support domestic agricultural production and reduce dependence on imports during crises. Bulgaria Remains Among EU’s Cheapest Countries Despite Persistent Inflation Concerns, Says Food Retailer Lidl 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-06-23 17:14:00 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law