Austrian companies operating in Bulgaria continue to view corruption as one of the country’s most significant economic challenges, alongside crime, bureaucracy, underdeveloped infrastructure, and political instability. A recent survey conducted in October and November 2025 shows that 96% of Austrian firms consider the fight against corruption a major unresolved issue. Businesses also highlight the persistent…
Bulgaria’s transition to the euro is proceeding smoothly, marking a major step in the country’s full integration into the European Union, according to an analysis by the Fiscal Council. The Council notes that the adoption of the single currency benefits from particularly favorable conditions. Bulgaria’s long-standing currency board and fixed exchange rate have minimized the…
During the first eleven months of 2025, Bulgaria’s exports to countries outside the European Union reached 27.55 billion leva (EUR 14.1 billion), marking a slight decline of 2.1% compared to the same period in 2024, according to data from the National Statistical Institute (NSI). The largest portion of these exports consists of machinery, equipment, and…
The process surrounding Bulgaria’s transition to the euro is unfolding smoothly and compares favorably with similar experiences in other countries, including Croatia, according to Vladimir Ivanov, Chairman of the State Commission on Commodity Exchanges and Markets and head of the Coordination Center for the Euro Mechanism. Speaking to bTV, he said the system had proven…
The process of converting Bulgarian levs to euros continues smoothly, with 48.3% of the national currency already withdrawn from circulation. To simplify the exchange process and prevent abuses, rules for converting levs in banks have been standardized. Citizens who are not clients of a given bank must present an ID when exchanging up to EUR…
Hotels in Bulgaria are transitioning to the euro without major issues, according to Georgi Duchev, executive director of the Bulgarian Association of Hotel Management Professionals. He said that most bookings were prepaid and modern hotel software allowed for straightforward currency conversion, easing the adjustment for both management and guests. Duchev noted that the hotel sector,…
In the third quarter of 2025, Bulgaria was among the EU countries experiencing the strongest growth in house prices, according to Eurostat data. Across the euro area, the house price index rose by 5.1% YoY, while the EU overall saw a 5.5% increase. Over the same period, prices had grown by 1.6% compared with the…