According to preliminary data from the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB), Bulgaria’s gross external debt amounted to EUR 49.019 billion at the end of December 2024. This represents an 8.7% increase YoY, or a rise of EUR 3.939 billion. In comparison, at the end of December 2023, the gross external debt stood at EUR 45.079 billion.
As of the end of 2024, the gross external debt equaled 47.9% of the country’s projected Gross Domestic Product (GDP), compared to 47.6% a year earlier.
At the end of December 2024, short-term liabilities amounted to EUR 9.444 billion (19.3% of total debt, 9.2% of GDP), marking an increase of EUR 1.013 billion (12%) compared to December 2023 (EUR 8.431 billion, 18.7% of total debt, and 8.9% of GDP).
Long-term liabilities stood at EUR 39.574 billion (80.7% of total debt, 38.7% of GDP) as of the end of December 2024, increasing by EUR 2.926 billion (8%) compared to the end of December 2023 (EUR 36.648 billion, 81.3% of total debt and 38.7% of GDP).
As of the end of December 2024, EUR 30.027 billion (61.3%) of the gross external debt had a residual maturity of more than one year. Debt denominated in euros accounted for 77.9% of the gross external liabilities, compared to 80.4% a year earlier.
The gross external debt of the “General Government” sector reached EUR 12.933 billion (12.6% of GDP) at the end of December 2024. Compared to December 2023 (EUR 10.934 billion, 11.5% of GDP), it increased by EUR 1.999 billion (18.3%).
The external liabilities of the Central Bank amounted to EUR 1.965 billion (1.9% of GDP), decreasing by EUR 103.6 million (5%) compared to December 2023 (EUR 2.068 billion, 2.2% of GDP).
The external liabilities of the “Other Monetary Financial Institutions” sector were EUR 8.393 billion (8.2% of GDP), marking an increase of EUR 1.591 billion (23.4%) compared to December 2023 (EUR 6.801 billion, 7.2% of GDP).
The external liabilities of the “Other Sectors” category stood at EUR 12.559 billion (12.3% of GDP), increasing by EUR 328.2 million (2.7%) compared to the same period of the previous year (EUR 12.231 billion, 12.9% of GDP).
Intercompany lending amounted to EUR 13.166 billion (12.9% of GDP) at the end of December 2024, which was EUR 124.1 million (1%) more than at the end of December 2023 (EUR 13.042 billion, 13.8% of GDP). It remains the largest component of the external debt structure, representing 26.9% of total external debt at the end of 2024, compared to 28.9% in December 2023. (Novinite)