In October, Bulgaria recorded a current account deficit of 1.0646 billion euros, marking the largest monthly shortfall since September 2022, according to preliminary data from the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) on the country’s balance of payments. The trade deficit also widened sharply, reaching 1.0444 billion euros, while foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows increased by 448.5 million euros.
For the combined current and capital account, October posted a negative balance of 975.1 million euros, compared with a deficit of 662.9 million euros in the same month of 2024. Over the first ten months of 2025, the balance was deeply negative at 3.2733 billion euros, contrasting with a positive 978.2 million euros in January-October 2024. The current account alone for the ten-month period stood at a deficit of 4.0521 billion euros, sharply up from just 392.7 million euros in the same period a year earlier.
The country’s trade balance in October remained in the red, amounting to 1.0444 billion euros, against a 739 million euro deficit in October 2024. Exports of goods rose slightly by 76.5 million euros, or 2%, to 3.9815 billion euros, but imports climbed faster by 381.8 million euros, up by 8.2%, reaching 5.0259 billion euros. In January-October, the trade deficit expanded to 7.0837 billion euros from 3.5482 billion euros in the same period of 2024, with exports falling by 1.3179 billion euros (-3.6%) to 35.4471 billion euros, while imports grew by 2.2176 billion euros (+5.5%) to 42.5308 billion euros.
The financial account in October posted a negative balance of 1.2435 billion euros, compared with a deficit of 1.0664 billion euros a year earlier. Over the first ten months of 2025, the financial account showed a cumulative deficit of 5.2331 billion euros, a significant deterioration from a negative 332.2 million euros in the same period of 2024.
The capital account, in contrast, remained modestly positive, at 89.5 million euros in October, slightly below the 90.6 million euros surplus a year ago. Since January 2025, the capital account has totaled 778.8 million euros, down from 1.3709 billion euros for the first ten months of 2024.
Foreign direct investment in Bulgaria rose in October by 448.5 million euros, up from 332.6 million euros in October 2024, and reached 2.5662 billion euros in the first ten months of the year, compared with 2.4308 billion euros over the same period in 2024. The data indicate continued FDI inflows despite growing current and trade deficits, signaling a persistent reliance on external investment to support the national economy. (Novinite)