Annual inflation in Bulgaria accelerated slightly in May, reaching 3.7%, up from 3.5% recorded in April, according to the latest figures from the National Statistical Institute. On a monthly basis, however, consumer prices remained unchanged for a second consecutive month.
The average annual inflation for the 12-month period between June 2024 and May 2025 stands at 2.8% compared to the previous year. Since the beginning of 2025, consumer prices have increased by 1.9%, based on the comparison between May 2025 and December 2024.
Several consumer categories contributed to the annual rise. The most notable monthly price increases were observed in “Restaurants and hotels” (+0.8%), followed by “Miscellaneous goods and services” and “Alcoholic beverages and tobacco”, both up by 0.6%. Prices for “Food and non-alcoholic beverages” and “Clothing and footwear” each rose by 0.5%.
In contrast, notable price decreases were reported in “Transport”, which dropped by 1.8%, followed by “Communications” (-1%), “Recreation and culture” (-0.9%) and “Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels”, which saw a slight decline of 0.3%.
Looking at longer-term trends, the cumulative inflation rate over the past three years (from May 2022 to May 2025) has reached 16.8%. For the five-year period stretching back to April 2020, the increase stands at a significant 38.4%.
The harmonized index of consumer prices (HICP), which enables comparisons across EU countries and serves as a key metric for eurozone readiness, showed a 0.1% increase in May on a monthly basis. On an annual basis, harmonized inflation edged up slightly to 2.9%, from 2.8% in April.
For the period from June 2024 to May 2025, the average annual harmonized inflation came in at 2.7%, a figure closely watched as part of the price stability criterion for Bulgaria’s future entry into the euro area.
Meanwhile, the consumer price index for the small consumer basket – which reflected the cost of goods and services typically purchased by the lowest-income 20% of households – remained flat compared to April. Since the start of 2025, it has risen by 4.1%. Within that category, a slight increase of 0.1% was noted in both services and non-food items, while food prices decreased by 0.1% over the month. (Novinite)