Bulgaria's annual inflation rate reached 6.8% in April 2026, while monthly inflation stood at 1.8%, the National Statistical Institute (NSI) said on May 15. Inflation since the beginning of the year (April 2026 compared with December 2025) was 3.7%. Average annual inflation for the May 2025 - April 2026 period compared with May 2024 - April 2025 was 4.8%.
According to the NSI's estimate, monthly inflation in April was expected to reach 2%, while annual inflation was projected at 7.1%. In March 2026, monthly inflation stood at 0.9% and annual inflation at 4.1%.
Price developments in April
According to the consumer price index, prices of goods and services increased in the following groups in April 2026:
- Transport - by 9%;
- Clothing and footwear - by 7.9%;
- Food and non-alcoholic beverages - by 1.7%;
- Alcoholic beverages and tobacco - by 0.8%;
- Education - by 0.8%;
- Personal care, social protection and miscellaneous goods and services - by 0.7%;
- Restaurants and hotels - by 0.5%;
- Information and communication - by 0.5%;
- Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels - by 0.5%;
- Furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance - by 0.3%;
- Healthcare - by 0.2%;
- Insurance and financial services - by 0.2%.
Prices decreased in the recreation, culture and sports group by 1.6%.
Accumulated inflation over the past three years (April 2026 compared with April 2023) was 13.1%, while accumulated inflation over the past five years (April 2026 compared with April 2021) reached 44.5%.
Small basket index
In April 2026, the monthly change in the small basket price index was 1.5%, while the annual change compared with April 2025 was 4.5%.
Compared with the previous month, prices in the small basket for the lowest-income 20% of households increased by 2% for food products, by 1.8% for non-food products and by 0.1% for services.