
Gross debt in Bulgaria
General government debt of Bulgaria refers to the debts of the state, their states and municipalities, and also of public sector institutions such as social security funds.The government debt in the period from 2000 to 2021 was between 8.7 billion and 29.6 billion USD. The highest level of the last years at 30 billion US Dollar was reached in 2021. The budget deficit in the same year was 3.3 billion USD.
Based on the number of inhabitants, this is a debt of 4,303 USD per person. For comparison, the average debt per person in the same year in the European Union was 35,341 USD.
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Gross debt of the last 21 years in billion USD
This is how much debt Bulgaria can afford
In accordance with the Maastricht Treaty, government debt in Bulgaria is aggregated for the federal, state and local governments as well as state institutions, and therefore includes the debt of all public budgets. As it is gross debt, the government's assets are not deducted. According to the EU convergence criteria, each EU country must meet certain requirements. For the debt budget, these two conditions in particular are decisive:- Consolidated gross debt may not exceed 60% of gross domestic product (GDP).
- The budget deficit, i.e. new annual debt, may not exceed 3% of GDP.
At the end of 2021, the debt of all EU countries averaged 92 percent.
Year | Bulgaria total | % of GDP | per capita | EU per capita |
---|---|---|---|---|
2000 | 9.47 bn USD | 71.51% | 1,159 USD | 10,328 USD |
2001 | 9.33 bn USD | 65.81% | 1,165 USD | 10,404 USD |
2002 | 8.69 bn USD | 52.97% | 1,109 USD | 11,368 USD |
2003 | 9.66 bn USD | 45.67% | 1,242 USD | 14,148 USD |
2004 | 9.81 bn USD | 37.51% | 1,271 USD | 16,162 USD |
2005 | 8.67 bn USD | 29.01% | 1,131 USD | 16,918 USD |
2006 | 9.32 bn USD | 27.12% | 1,227 USD | 17,549 USD |
2007 | 10.75 bn USD | 24.21% | 1,425 USD | 19,574 USD |
2008 | 10.24 bn USD | 18.80% | 1,366 USD | 22,721 USD |
2009 | 11.07 bn USD | 21.29% | 1,488 USD | 23,701 USD |
2010 | 11.20 bn USD | 22.10% | 1,515 USD | 25,145 USD |
2011 | 12.23 bn USD | 21.20% | 1,664 USD | 28,417 USD |
2012 | 12.38 bn USD | 22.79% | 1,694 USD | 27,784 USD |
2013 | 13.17 bn USD | 23.61% | 1,813 USD | 30,021 USD |
2014 | 19.24 bn USD | 33.71% | 2,664 USD | 30,832 USD |
2015 | 16.03 bn USD | 31.56% | 2,233 USD | 26,170 USD |
2016 | 19.32 bn USD | 35.80% | 2,710 USD | 26,655 USD |
2017 | 18.76 bn USD | 31.70% | 2,652 USD | 27,535 USD |
2018 | 19.13 bn USD | 28.83% | 2,723 USD | 29,172 USD |
2019 | 18.50 bn USD | 26.84% | 2,652 USD | 27,927 USD |
2020 | 22.97 bn USD | 32.71% | 3,313 USD | 32,227 USD |
2021 | 29.60 bn USD | 35.21% | 4,303 USD | 35,341 USD |
Comparison of gross debt per capita with the European Union in U.S. dollars
Budget deficit in Bulgaria

The budget balance in Bulgaria in the period between 1998 and 2022 varied between -3.27 billion euros and +1.48 billion euros. In 2022, Bulgaria reached a balance of -3 billion euros.
In ratio to population, this equals a new indebtedness of 364 euros per capita in Bulgaria in 2022. For comparison, the average debt per capita in the European Union in the same year was 1,254 euros.
Budget deficit and surplus in the last 24 years
Year | Bulgaria total | % of GDP | per capita | EU per capita |
---|---|---|---|---|
1998 | -1.56 bn USD | -10.40% | -189 USD | -398 USD |
1999 | 0.02 bn USD | 0.16% | 3 USD | -204 USD |
2000 | -0.07 bn USD | -0.53% | -9 USD | 112 USD |
2001 | 0.15 bn USD | 1.05% | 19 USD | -299 USD |
2002 | -0.19 bn USD | -1.17% | -24 USD | -565 USD |
2003 | -0.08 bn USD | -0.39% | -11 USD | -840 USD |
2004 | 0.47 bn USD | 1.80% | 61 USD | -920 USD |
2005 | 0.30 bn USD | 1.01% | 39 USD | -822 USD |
2006 | 0.62 bn USD | 1.81% | 82 USD | -568 USD |
2007 | 0.49 bn USD | 1.10% | 65 USD | -360 USD |
2008 | 0.87 bn USD | 1.59% | 116 USD | -1,085 USD |
2009 | -2.32 bn USD | -4.45% | -311 USD | -2,021 USD |
2010 | -1.86 bn USD | -3.67% | -251 USD | -1,970 USD |
2011 | -1.01 bn USD | -1.75% | -137 USD | -1,463 USD |
2012 | -0.44 bn USD | -0.81% | -60 USD | -1,220 USD |
2013 | -0.41 bn USD | -0.73% | -56 USD | -1,027 USD |
2014 | -3.08 bn USD | -5.39% | -426 USD | -851 USD |
2015 | -0.94 bn USD | -1.86% | -132 USD | -574 USD |
2016 | 0.17 bn USD | 0.32% | 24 USD | -421 USD |
2017 | 0.96 bn USD | 1.63% | 136 USD | -263 USD |
2018 | 1.15 bn USD | 1.73% | 163 USD | -134 USD |
2019 | 1.48 bn USD | 2.14% | 212 USD | -191 USD |
2020 | -2.68 bn USD | -3.81% | -386 USD | -2,317 USD |
2021 | -3.27 bn USD | -3.90% | -476 USD | -1,852 USD |
2022 | -2.50 bn USD | -364 USD | -1,254 USD |
(negative numbers = deficit)