As of the end of November, household and NPISH (non-profit institutions serving households) deposits in Bulgaria reached 100.881 billion leva, marking a 15.8% rise compared with the same month in 2024, according to a report by the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) on December 23.
The growth in household deposits has been steady since July, following the approval from European authorities for Bulgaria to adopt the euro as its official currency starting January 1, 2026. August saw an annual increase of 12.7%, to 95.4 billion leva, September rose by 13.1%, to 96.2 billion leva, and October grew by 13.8%, to 97.9 billion leva. Many Bulgarian banks introduced promotional deposit offers around this period, allowing customers to deposit leva without fees. From January 1, 2026, all lev-denominated accounts will be converted to euros free of charge.
The BNB report also noted that deposits from financial corporations rose by 19.6% annually in November, reaching 4.592 billion leva, after a 31.3% increase in October. Non-financial corporate deposits grew by 8.9%, to 48.619 billion leva in November, following a 10.7% rise in October. Overall, deposits from the non-government sector totaled 154.092 billion leva at the end of November, reflecting a 13.6% annual increase, slightly higher than October’s 13.2% growth.
Regarding loans, house purchase financing reached 32.140 billion leva at the end of November, an annual increase of 27.7%, nearly unchanged from October’s 27.8% rise. Consumer loans stood at 21.356 billion leva, up by 13.6%.
For households and businesses preparing for the euro transition, the Association of Banks in Bulgaria provides an English-language Q&A on official procedures. Additionally, the evroto.bg website offers guidance in English, while the European Commission published its Q&A on Bulgaria’s euro adoption on July 8. (Novinite)