Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Bulgaria could adopt the euro on 1 January 2026, predicts IME

Photo: ЕПА/БГНЕС

On the basis of December inflation data published yesterday by Eurostat, the Institute for Market Economics (IME) forecasts that the country could join the eurozone from 1 January next year.

Compared to December 2024, the average annual inflation in the country is 2.6 per cent, while the lowest in the European Union are: 0.9 per cent in Lithuania, 1 per cent in Finland and 1.1 per cent in Italy. The criterion that Bulgaria has to meet, according to the Maastricht Treaty, is the average of the countries with the lowest inflation plus 1.5 points. This means that Bulgaria's deviation is 0.1 per cent.

"In this sense, as of December 2024, the benchmark has not been met in its pure form," said Petar Ganev of the institute.
There is a parliamentary resolution that obliges Bulgaria to submit a request for an extraordinary assessment within two weeks of formally meeting all the criteria for eurozone membership. The realistic date for joining the single European currency is 1 January 2026, according to the IME.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Sunny over the mountains, fog in the valleys

Saturday will be sunny in most parts of the country. In the lowlands and river plains of southern Bulgaria there will be fog or low clouds, which will clear by midday in most places. Lows will be between minus 6 and minus 1°C, with Sofia around minus..

published on 1/17/25 7:05 PM
Deputy transport minister Yordan Karadzhov

Resignations after fatal train accident near Sofia

The new Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Grozdan Karadajov has accepted the resignations of the heads of the National Railway Infrastructure Company Stoyan Stoyanov and of BDZ Freight Transport Company Hristiyan Krastev. The resignations..

published on 1/17/25 6:47 PM

SURVEY: 37.4% of Bulgarians agree with the formula of the new government

37.4% of adult Bulgarians strongly agree with the formula of the new government. Another 21.4% accept it, but not strongly. 16.5% somewhat disagree and 20.8% disagree. The rest find it difficult to answer.  Thus, the government of Rosen Zhelyazkov,..

published on 1/17/25 4:30 PM