Bulgaria ranks 10th in Europe and 18th in the world among 125 countries covered by the Innovators Business Environment Index (IBEI) 2026, which was published on January 28. With a total score of 73.631 points out of a maximum of 100, Bulgaria ranks 1st in the Balkans and 2nd in Central & Eastern Europe in the IBEI 2026, receiving the highest-rated business environment assessment among its neighboring regional economies.
The Index is compiled by StartupBlink, a global startup research platform which has offices in Singapore and the Cypriot city of Larnaca. The organization’s Bulgarian partners from the local startup ecosystem are Vitosha Venture Partners and Endeavor Bulgaria. The report is accessible through the StartupBlink blog.
The IBEI rankings reveal readiness of national environments for entrepreneurship, the systems, institutions, and infrastructure that enable innovators to begin and scale their journey efficiently and with confidence. The Index provides a global benchmark for comparing how ready national business environments are for entrepreneurship.
The European countries which come ahead of Bulgaria in the IBEI 2026 are the United Kingdom (3rd in the world), Switzerland (4th), the Netherlands (7th), Estonia (10th), Sweden (12th), Luxembourg (13th), Ireland (14th), Cyprus (15th) and Belgium (16th). Immediately behind Bulgaria are Finland (19th), Denmark (20th), Norway (21st), Lithuania (22nd) and Germany (23rd). Bulgaria’s neighbors Romania and Greece are ranked 25th and 33rd, respectively, while Serbia is in 50th place and North Macedonia 51st.
Bulgaria is 1st in the EU and 5th in the world for business incentives (country score: 79.126 pts), reflecting a positive assessment of fiscal and financial conditions.
The report says that Bulgaria is known for being pro-business relative to its economic size. It offers founders a predictable regulatory setting and fewer administrative barriers than many of its regional peers. A key feature of Bulgaria’s recent strategy is its openness to foreign innovators. The Startup Visa, issued by the Ministry of Innovation and Growth, gives non-EU founders a structured path to establish and operate innovative companies. The program signals Bulgaria’s intention to attract global talent and increase its presence within the European market. Several institutions support this direction. The Bulgarian Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion Agency helps firms grow and expand internationally. BESCO (the Bulgarian Entrepreneurial Association) works with policymakers to streamline regulation and improve public–private dialogue. The Bulgaria Innovation Hub complements these efforts by connecting local companies with partners and opportunities abroad. Bulgaria has also developed longer-term plans to deepen support for innovation. New programs aim to strengthen research capability and align national policy with European standards in digital transformation.
In short, Bulgaria offers a business environment defined by regulatory clarity, openness to international founders, and institutions that actively encourage entrepreneurship. These conditions help explain why the country continues to punch above its weight and attract a growing community of globally minded businesses, the report says.
According to the report, Bulgaria ranks 2nd in the EU for the Taxation Functional Category, highlighting positively evaluated tax structures relative to other EU member states. The country has scope to further improve on Regulation & Governance.
At the Parameter level, Lending Rate & Getting Credit, Corporate Tax Rate, and Top Personal Income Tax Rate are assessed within the top 25% of the Index, contributing positively to Bulgaria’s overall result.
The top three nations in the overall global ranking are the United States (100.000 pts), Singapore (99.145) and the United Kingdom (93,900).